Like every human being, Queen Victoria had her good moods and her bad ones. When she once received an intricate piece of Maltese lace for a present (lace figured amongst the objects sent from Malta to the 'Exhibition of Industries' held in London during 1881) she obviously was in her better mode. Instantly falling in love with that delicate work of art, she is known to have made Maltese lace famous almost overnight.
So successful, in fact, that popular Maltese lace designs were copied and sent to China for mass production. What was good for Her Imperial Majesty was also good for the ordinary citizens of the empire, and Maltese lace-making prospered to a considerable degree. It is still flourishing today, aided and abetted by a thriving tourist industry. But of course Maltese lace-making goes back much further. It traces its origins to the 16th Century. Needle lace was made as it was in Venice.
This continued until the 19th century when the depression that descended upon the islands nearly led to its extinction. Other than Queen Victoria's seal of approval, two people are known to be responsible for introducing and promoting lace in these islands in the mid 1800's. Lady Hamilton Chichester sent lace makers from Genoa, where the technique of Italian bobbin lace was developed, to Malta. They used the old needle lace patterns and turned them into ones using bobbins, instead of the slower time-consuming needles.
On Gozo it was the promotion by designer, Dun Guzeppe, that made lace-making a way of raising the standard of living for local families. It wasn't long after its introduction before Maltese/Gozo lace developed its own unique style from that on the Continent. A quick stroll through Gozitan villages can reward you with a glimpse of this folklore. Traditional women proudly sit next to their doorway and charm passers-by with their lace-making techniques.
You may even be invited to have a go yourself.
Although this is very much a traditional Maltese art it is not as widely practiced as it was a hundred years ago. However, do not fear, there are still places where you can see it happening. We suggest you go to one of the crafts villages which are located in Ta Qali in Malta and in Ghajnsielem in Gozo.
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