Proceedings e report - Firenze University Press

ON 18 TH- AND 19 TH- CENTURY SACRISTY FURNITURE IN THE MALTESE
ISLANDS: MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES
Michael Formosa*
Conservation Division, Heritage Malta, Malta
Institute of Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage, University of Malta, Malta
Abstract
Most of the sacristy furniture in Malta and Gozo dating to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has been
investigated to evaluate differences and similarities in style, manufacturing techniques as well as types of wood
used. The majority of sacristies under study belong to the eighteenth century. Classical decorative elements were
more common in the eighteenth century, although some characteristics persisted also in the nineteenth century.
Framed door constructions developed and became common during the nineteenth century. Analyses showed that
no wood came from local trees. The dominant types of wood used were Larix decidua (larch) and Picea sp.
(spruce). The latter was mostly used for the construction of carcases, drawers and doors, especially when the
furniture was painted utilising a graining technique which was quite popular in eighteenth-century sacristy
furniture.
1. Introduction
1.1. Aims of the study
The principal aim of this study is to research and investigate the different styles and manufacturing
techniques used in sacristy furniture found on the Maltese Islands. Attention is mainly focussed on
wood, being the main constituent material, and the different techniques applied during the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries. Wood analysis has been carried out on a considerable number of sacristies to
explore whether wood from local trees was used for construction purposes as well as to outline and
highlight the different types of wood used.
1.2. General remarks
Some sacristy furniture presents excellent examples of grand style artefacts. Such furniture has an
important role in daily ecclesiastical functions apart from being of utmost historical importance. The
furniture that was earmarked for this study came from 33 different churches in total; 44 different
pieces of sacristy furniture have been examined. Some churches have more than one sacristy and these
are often referred to as the old and new sacristy. Unfortunately in some locations the original sacristy
furniture has been replaced and discarded completely.
2. Comparative study of materials and techniques used in the sacristy furniture
2.1. Indigenous and cultivated trees in Malta and their probable use in furniture
decoration and construction
Plants growing on the Maltese Islands adapted to the long dry season and the two most dominant
species of trees are the Quercus ilex (oak) and Pinus halepensis (pine). [1] Lanfranco states that
woodland in Malta was exterminated soon after man settled here, about 7000 years ago, as trees
started being cut down for firewood and ground was cleared for agriculture.
Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl), known as sandarac, was used for decorative tabletops during the Roman
period. [9] Sandarac may have also been used for its resin, more specifically for the prized varnish
recipes, but it is not known whether this technology was imported to the Maltese Islands by the
Romans. This tree, locally referred to as “Gharghar”, is very rare on the Maltese Islands, and in fact it
was declared the national tree in 1992 and, a year later, was protected by law. [10]
During the time of the Order of St John in Malta (1530-1798), there was already a shortage of wood,
and it was imported at a high cost. [3] The vegetation throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth
* E-mail: michael.formosa@gov.mt
Joseph Gril (edited by), Wood Science for Conservation of Cultural Heritage –Braga 2008: Proceedings of the International
Conference held by COST Action IE0601 (Braga - Portugal, 5-7 November 2008, ISBN 978-88-6453-157-1 (print)
ISBN 978-88-6453-165-6 (online) © 2010 Firenze University Press