Artefacts from the national collection loaned for display in three exhibitions abroad

Several artefacts from the national collection have been loaned by Heritage Malta to be displayed in three temporary exhibitions being held abroad, in line with the agency’s mission to raise its international profile.

The Ċippus, which dates back to the 2nd century BC and which played a crucial role in deciphering the Phoenician alphabet in the 18th century, has been loaned by the National Museum of Archaeology to the Musée Champollion in Figeac, France, for the exhibition Eurêka! Champollion 2022 – Déchiffrements. Marking 200 years since the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs by Jean-François Champollion, this exhibition explores deciphering through history and the tools used by philologists to crack ancient scripts and modern codes. The exhibition runs till 9th October.

The Malta Maritime Museum has loaned 20 artefacts from its collection to the Musée di Bastia in Corsica, for the exhibition Mare furioso: Pirates et corsaires en Méditerranée (XVIe-XIXe siècles), running till 17th December. This exhibition boasts more than 200 objects coming from several prestigious museums, dedicated to the less known history of pirates and corsairs within the Mediterranean, with particular focus on Corsica, and the consequences of their activities, including in the moulding of national identities. The artefacts from Malta, comprising drawings and maps, paintings, navigational instruments and a corsair treasure box among others, illustrate the historical connections between Malta and Corsica while stressing the importance of our island in the shaping of a Mediterranean maritime culture. 

MUŻA, on the other hand, has collaborated with the Cittadella Vescovile di Gerace for the loan of 11 medicinal maiolica vessels, commissioned by the Order of St John and produced in Gerace in the 17th century, for a purposely designed exhibition entitled Cretae Pictae – Maioliche di Gerace per i Cavalieri di Malta. This exhibition is being held at the Museo Diocesano – Tesoro della Cattedrale di Gerace in Reggio Calabria, Italy, until 1st October.