Maltese Antiquarian

Maltese Antiquarian is a gallery of antiques and fine art on Valley Road in Birkirkara, and its aim is to make antiques and fine art accessible to everyone. It suits serious collectors, and it also suits anyone who wants a single piece to bring character and history to a home, office or business.

The gallery is listed in our directory of antique shops in Malta. For UK visitors with an interest in Malta's religious and decorative heritage, it offers a chance to handle objects of a kind usually seen only in churches and museums.

What is in the collection

The shop section of the website currently shows 46 items. Much of the stock is religious and Baroque in character: circa 1850 solid silver ecclesiastical cruets at €1,600, a Victorian set of altar cards at €980, carved wood figures of saints and the Madonna, a pair of 18th century carved putti at €2,300 and silver devotional pieces. There are also paintings, including an 18th century depiction of St John the Baptist at €3,900.

For something more modest, a circa 1685 copper engraved map of Malta is offered at €220. Old maps are a favourite with visitors because they are easy to frame and carry home, and they sit well alongside our Knights of Malta guide for anyone curious about the island's past.

Larger works include lifesize 16th and 17th century figures of St Peter and St Paul, a 17th or 18th century figure of St Catherine of the wheel at €4,900 and a late 18th or early 19th century Baroque gilt decoration with original crucifix at €3,900. Serious pieces like these are for collectors, churches and interior designers, but even browsing the catalogue gives a vivid idea of Malta's long tradition of devotional art and craftsmanship.

How buying and selling works

The gallery sells, buys and part exchanges, so you can trade in a piece when you move on to another. Instalment plans are available for purchases, and the gallery offers a money back guarantee if an item is not as described. There is an auctions section on the website as well.

Because values are significant, and each piece is unique, it is sensible to ask about condition, provenance and shipping before committing. Anyone thinking of selling can describe the piece through our enquiry form and we will pass the message on. Good photographs, measurements and any history you know about the object will help the gallery respond usefully.

Visiting the gallery

The gallery is at 147 Valley Road, Birkirkara, on the Balzan side further up from the Birkirkara Post Office and opposite Foto Vission. Regular hours are Monday and Wednesday from 5:30pm to 8pm and Saturday from 10am to 1pm. A prior call or message is always advisable, so use the enquiry form to arrange a time, so the gallery knows to expect you and can have the piece you want to see ready.

Birkirkara is centrally placed and the gallery's evening hours on Monday and Wednesday suit visitors who spend the day sightseeing elsewhere, so a visit combines easily with sightseeing with the Valletta guide and the Mdina guide to hand. Churches such as St John's Co-Cathedral show how the kind of silver, gilding and carving sold here appears in context, and the Three Cities guide covers more of the island's heritage. Close by, Alistair Floral Design is also listed in our directory.

Planning your trip

Our things to do in Malta page offers ideas for the rest of your stay, and about Malta gives general background. To ask about a piece, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.