Jewellery can be a statement of many things, be it of a personal, social or financial nature. It can be rudimentary or extravagantly elaborate, but both these extremes and everything in between serve the purpose of conveying a message.

FPM's exhibition, Vanity, Profanity & Worship - Jewellery from the Maltese Islands took us on a splendid journey that weaves through the history of jewellery from prehistory to contemporary times. Set in the sumptuous surroundings of the Casino Maltese in Valletta, this exhibition features some of the most remarkable and traditional pieces of jewellery found on our Islands.

With this exhibition FPM thematically highlighted various types of jewellery: amulets to ward off evil, the devotional and secular pieces of the 17th and 18th centuries, the local filigree work, the 19th century introduction of new materials and styles, and lastly the modern and contemporary pieces that bring us to our times. These exhibits, the majority of which hail from Maltese collections, ultimately reflect the taste of a nation.
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CONTENTS

Amulets - Faith, Myth & Superstition
Michelle Galea

La Croce dei Cavalieri di Malta - Emblema-gioiello nell'area Mediterranea
Maria Concetta di Natale

Maltese Jewellers in Three Major Exhibitions - 1851, 1864 and 1886
Albert Ganado

Picturing Jewellery in 19th century Malta - The evidence from periodicals and contemporary writings
Francesca Balzan

Jewellery from Portraits and Anecdote
Nicholas de Piro

Maltese Filigree Jewellery - An outstanding island tradition
Marika Azzopardi

Andrew Grima - An outstanding international jeweller of Maltese descent
Amanda Triossi

Exhibition Catalogue
Francesca Balzan

Glossary
Emmanuel Azzopardi

Notes on Selected Exhibits

Index