Stories Worth Telling

The Maltese Clock (also known as Tal Lira)

The origin of the Maltese clock is unclear, but what is remarkable, is that a small country like Malta, was able to sustain a clockmaking trade. The clocks were produced over a period of around 150 years, solely for the local market at a time when only the aristocracy and the Church could afford them.

Although it is difficult to precisely trace the Maltese clock’s origin, it is known to date back to the late 17th century. Its purpose was to serve both as a useful object as well as a decorative one. It was found in houses of the upper classes and of rich clerics. It was also hung in prominent positions on walls of halls and corridors of public palaces, as well as in church vestries. 

The people involved in building the final product were the carpenter who constructed the wooden case, while a clock maker developed the clock’s mechanism, and a gilder/painter was then responsible for the whole production and adding the final touches to the clock. 

Why is it called Tal Lira? 

There is no conclusive documentary evidence for the name. Many say that the Maltese clocks owe their name to the fact that they used to cost one pound sterling. However, some find this explanation unsatisfactory, for more than one reason. The labour of the people involved was never cheap, so it doesn’t make any sense that the craftsmen who contributed their skills, would share one pound between them.

Another theory is that in the past, it was a custom among the upper classes to present a wedding gift to a maid servant who was about to get married and leave her job. The master of the house would call her, thank her for her services, and ask whether she would prefer a Maltese clock or a gold coin worth one pound.

The Maltese clock, like all domestic clocks, started as an exclusive thing belonging to the aristocracy. With the reluctance of the aristocracy to draw attention to money and wealth, it is hard to believe that they would have been referring to a clock that cost a pound. 

The Maltese clock consists of a wooden case and comes in various sizes. It has two doors. The inner door consists of the clock face, the dial and a small aperture showing the pendulum. The outer door consists of a glass pane which encloses the clock face to protect the inner mechanism from unnecessary handling and dust. 

All this is firmly attached to the back of the clock face on the inner door. The clock has two hands, the hour hand which is short and broad, and the minute hand which is longer and more narrow. These hands pass through a hole in the middle of the dial. 

This type of clock is not produced on a mass level. It is ordered and decorated to meet the customers wishes. The Maltese clock has a lot of decorations on it. The four corners of the clock-face are usually decorated with gild or hand painted flower patterns. 

In the middle of the dial there is usually a hand painting of a Maltese landscape or a seascape which serves as a background to the hour and minute hands. The roman numerals around the dial are hand painted too. The centre of the clock often bears the customers family coat of arms, the eight-pointed cross, a grandmasters coat of arms or flowers. 

The Maltese clock comes in different colours, the most popular being dark green. It can also come in dark or light blue, maroon or black. Those colours are selected to create a contrasting effect between the gilding and the colour as well as for artistic purposes. In most cases, the Maltese clock is gilded with 23.5 carat gold leaf. The final product is then polished for a shinier look.

The clock can have two types of movement, a traditional mechanical movement which is adapted to be wound from the inside or a quartz battery movement. The latter is more commonly used nowadays, since it is more practical. 

The Method 

Everything starts with the customer ordering the external wooden carcass of the clock. There are four main sizes which vary from 300mm up to 1000mm. The following is the process for the production of a Maltese clock. 

1. The wooden carcass is produced by a joiner.

2. The gilder takes over and gives it a coat of rabbit skin glue to seal the porous surface.

3. Thin gauze is used to cover over all joints and knots in the timber.

4. This is then given over 10 coats of gesso di Bologna which is mixed with rabbit skin glue as the individual gilder’s preference and preferred methods.

5. The gypsum surface is finely sanded after each coat and any dust is cleaned off properly.

6. The clock’s floral designs are engraved into the gypsum surface using engraving tools.

7. All surfaces are then coated with bole, a special type of clay mixture.

8. The clock is then water gilded using 23.5 carat gold leaf.

9. After the surface is dry, the gilt surface is burnished using agate burnishers in order to produce a shiny finish. Unburnished areas retain a matte finish.

10. The remaining areas are painted in traditional dark red, green, blue or even black colours.

11. The clock mechanism, produced by a clock-maker is then installed.

12. The quadrant, adorned with floral designs and scenic views is then positioned so that it serves as a backdrop to the clock’s minute and hour hands.

13. A pane of glass is fixed on the outermost frame.

Today, original Maltese clocks are collectors’ items and very hard to find since they fetch high prices. However, replicas are still being crafted. These try to capture some of the classic characteristics of the original Maltese clocks. These replicas are very popular and sometimes are given as a gift on special occasions like anniversaries and weddings. 

Other typical Maltese clocks include wall clocks found on the facades of churches, chapels and in convents, sundials, and other clocks found in houses on chests of drawers. 

Feast Days (or Festi)

Every year, around 95 are held in Malta and 10 in Gozo, and apart from a few exceptions, most are held between May and September. It’s feast day again on the 8th September here in Mellieha, with the celebration of Our Lady of Victories observed as not only a religious holiday but also a public holiday. Although no one really knows when the Blessed Virgin Mary was born, according to tradition, September 8th is her birth date. There will of course be plenty of fireworks.

Next month I will start the A to Z of Malta.