Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE LAS2050

 
TITLE The Art of Maltese Bobbin Lace 2

 
UM LEVEL H - Higher Level

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences

 
DESCRIPTION Using their basic knowledge of drawing and making bobbin lace, this study-unit is intended to help students explore the Maltese Lace style and technique and improve on it. This will be achieved by concentrating on:
• The 18th century ‘tal-Balla’ strip method, then known as merletto da bocchetti
• The Meander style early 19th century, attributed to C. Salvatore Bondi
• The Motif / ‘Festuni’ application, D. Giuseppe Diacono
• The English Stitch of mid-19th c. made for the vast export market mainly to Britain.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• Decipher the roots of our traditional bobbin lace from Genoa to the convents, aristocrats and finally to peasants or rural areas;
• Learn the mechanism of trading lace and the system adopted in schools by the British philanthropists;
• Adopt the fight for survival during time of war or time of poverty, as well as emigration;
• Adopt to the religious, social, political and cultural impact of their times;
• Strive to learn the real Maltese /Gozo design and acknowledge responsibility of safeguarding these methods while passing them on intact to the next generation.

2. Skills
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

• Trace the design of merletti da Bocchetti from portraits and Favray paintings;
• Learn how to work ‘tal-Balla’ stitch, nowadays used mainly in church vestments;
• Experiment with the ‘Meander’ style;
• Work the ‘English’ stitch possibly with variations;
• Draw and work the Maltese eight-pointed cross, used as trade-mark of Maltese Lace;
• Making a template / moll to create borders;
• Constructing corners using Motif application.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

- C. Azzopardi (1991), Gozo Lace Introduction, Gozo Press.
- C. Azzopardi (2019), Maltese Lace History & Mystery, Kite Group, Malta.
- Lace Day Patterns 2000-2010 – edited & published by Koperattiva Għawdxija tal-Bizzilla u Artiġjanat Ltd.
- Is-Seher tal-Bizzilla – magazine in English & Maltese published by Malta Lace Guild.
- Bulletin OIDFA – quarterly magazine, English & French published by the International Organisation of Bobbin and Needle lace.

 
RULES/CONDITIONS In TAKING THIS UNIT YOU CANNOT TAKE LAS2003

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-Requisite knowledge, skills and competences: A good knowledge of English, competence in using geometrical instruments, understanding lace designs and general mastering of basic stitches. Before taking this unit, it is advised that applicants have to present evidence that they had already registered for LAS1082.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lectures, Practicum & Project

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 30%
Portfolio SEM2 No 70%

 
LECTURER/S Consiglia Azzopardi (Co-ord.)
David Azzopardi

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit