Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti's latest issue of Treasures of Malta carries two fresh features.
One of them is a number of short articles about works of art of historical interest from private collections and the other is a pull-out design featuring Stephen C. Spiteri's Castrum Maris, a suggestion of what Fort St Angelo looked like before the various changes the knights made to it. This is the first in a series of such features.
This number also contains a one-off feature to mark the end of Malta as a producer of its own coinage.
Joseph C. Sammut lists a number of rarities among coins produced on the island during the Order of St John's rule. Mr Sammut is a leading expert on the numismatics of Malta and of the Order of St John.
Giovanni Bonello describes several doodles he came across in the Order's Libri Bullarum in an article entitled Doodles: Breaking The Bullarum Code.
During his research, Judge Bonello came across a number of little drawings, scattered through the volumes, on the margins or in the blank pages at the beginning and end of the tomes.
The author explains that administrative orders, often relating to particular persons, were registered in the Libri Bullarum for record purposes. In fact, these orders got their names from the bulla, which was the Grand Master's circular seal attached to the original document.
The tomes contain certificates that regulated internal administrative issues such as grants of commanderies, promotions, pensions and passports.
On the other hand, the books contain negative records such as prosecution orders, expulsions, demotions, the collection of debts and investigations.
Judge Bonello discovered that most of the drawings are real-life portraits, visual puns on the person's name or surname, allegories or satirical comments.
Among other articles, Joe Galea Naudi and Denise Micallef discuss interesting furniture items at Palazzo Falson, in Mdina while Michael Stroud and Antonio Espinosa Rodriguez provide historical comment on the "Baroque natural trumpet" found in the Presidential Palace collection.
In another first, this issue includes a series on the conservation of valuable objects, the first being Caring For Silver At Home. The article contains practical hints on handling, cleaning and storing silver.
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