Artificial flower in Ganutell
In the mid-twentieth century most of the Maltese population did not quite know much about this wonderful craft which is Ganutell, such that only a few people had mastered the true art of Ganutell. This craft has been carried down by word of mouth through generations so that it would never get lost.
Ganutell before was practiced mostly in monasteries by nuns and monks even though this craft was mostly popular with women. The Knights of St. John used to make nuns and monks produce mounts of Ganutell to be given as gifts to popes, and other Royalties. Ganutell before was also used as a decoration for churches, or statues or as home décor. Nowadays its used in more various situations such as in weddings for the bride’s bouquet, tiaras, accessories etc.
Bozza
After the end of world war 2 sadly Ganutell was coming to an end because of all the destruction caused by the war, but in the late Nineties this craft sought a sudden revival.
To create Ganutell one needs Magħżel/Spindle, Thread (Rayon floss or Satin), Bentnose Pliers, Copper Core Wires, Beads Cutter, Pliers, Pearls, Floral Tape and Boul lion. To make Ganutell you would first need to Spin Rayon floss with a wire on a wooden spindle, once the thread is prepared petals for the flowers are worked, the flowers could be trimmed with zig-zag or in twisted wire, or decorated with colorful glass beads, after a required amount of flowers are done, the Ganutell is than mounted.
Ganutell Mounted in a frame
Ganutell was usually mounted either by putting it inside a glass tube which was called a ‘Bozza’ or put inside a frame. When Ganutell was put inside a frame, this was usually accompanied with a painting of a religious figure such as Mother Mary or Jesus. Ganutell inside a ‘Bozza’ usually was accompanied with another ‘Bozza’ and some type of small furniture to go in between the two ‘Bozza’.
In my opinion Ganutell is a wonderful craft, since if done correctly and with patience it produces magnificent results, also Ganutell could be done in a lot of different styles such as mentioned above it could be done into an accessory, hair accessory, decoration for a home or appartments etc.
The Luzzu is one of the biggest boats in the island. This boat was used to carry merchandise around the Maltese and Gozo shores. The word ‘Luzzu’ derives from the Sicilian word ‘Guzzu’. The luzzu is one of the Maltese culture and is featured on old Maltese lira notes.
The design of the Luzzu is said to date back to the Phoenician times. This design stayed because its shape is very steady at sea and also stays stable in bad seas. The Luzzu before used to be equipped with sails but nowadays these boats are usually found with motors instead. The ‘Luzzu’ is made from ash wood and red
wood, the paint used previously was tar. The Luzzu i
One might notice that on the front of a Luzzu there are a pair of eyes, these are said to be coming from an ancient Phoenician custom which is referred to as the ‘Eye of Horus’ or ‘Eye of Osiris’. These eyes were added to the boats as protection against bad weather or rough seas.
Eye of Osiris or Horus
A Kajik is very similar to a Luzzu but has a more rectangular shape and these boats usually come in smaller sizes than a Luzzu. Gozo Boats are also similar to a Luzzu, but instead of being smaller, these boats are larger in size. Also Gozo boats were used as means of transport from Malta to Gozo instead of fishing.
The Luzzu is indeed a nice site to look at while near a sea village such as Marsaxlokk, Wied iz-Zurrieq, Marsascala, St Pauls bay and many others. The Luzzu nowadays is not only being used as means of fishing but also as a tourist attraction as these boats take tourists on ours around the Maltese islands.
In my Opinion the Luzzu is a wonderful Maltese boat as it is only seen on the Maltese islands with such beautiful colors that complement each other well.
References:
Ganutell:
Bead and Wire Flowers
Ganutell(Online)
Link: http://beadandwireflowers.com/
Beads and Handworks
Ganutell (Online)
Link: http://www.beadsky.com/ganutell.php?ln=en
Wikipedia
Ganutell (Online)
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganutell
Luzzu:
Wikipedia
Luzzu (Online)
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luzzu
Maltese History and Heritage
Luzzu (Online)
Link: https://vassallohistory.wordpress.com/fishing-in-malta/
Malta Bulb
Luzzu (Onlin)
Link: http://www.maltabulb.com/luzzu.html
