Maltese lace (Maltese: bizzilla) is a style of bobbin lace made in Malta. It is a guipure style of lace. It is worked as a continuous width on a tall, thin, upright lace pillow. Bigger pieces are made of two or more parts sewn together.
The Lace Pillow in Malta is known as Trajbu (pronounced as "try-boo"), while the Bobbins are called Ċombini (pronounced as "chom-beany"); this type of lace making is very popular on the island of Gozo.
Lace made in Malta was originally needle lace, from the 16th to the 19th century, when the economic depression in the islands nearly led to the extinction of lacemaking there. But in the mid-1800s, Lady Hamilton Chichester sent lacemakers from Genoa to Malta. They used the old needle lace patterns and turned them into bobbin lace, which was quicker. It was not long after its introduction that the Maltese lace developed its own style from Genoese lace.
Maltese lace was shown at The Great Exhibition of 1851 and it became popular in Britain. The style was copied by lacemakers in the English Midlands, and it was one of the sources for Bedfordshire lace.[1]
Lace is still made in Malta today. To ensure the survival of the craft, lace making is taught in Government trade schools for girls, while private bodies such as the Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce also hold special evening classes.[2]
Maltese lace usually has the following characteristics which are useful for identification:
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Lace types
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| Needle lace |
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| Bobbin lace |
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| Tape lace |
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| Crocheted lace |
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| Machine-made lace |
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| Other handmade laces |
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