A bronze statuette discovered in Gozo in 1771 is currently on show in the Exhibition Hall of Heritage Malta’s area office at the Cittadella in Gozo. It is being exhibited for the first time in Gozo since its discovery in Ghajnsielem 238 years ago.

The importance of this statuette lies in the fact that it belongs to an obscure period of Malta’s history. The statuette probably belongs to the Byzantine rule in Gozo. The circumstances and exact spot of the find are unknown, but important books which deal with the history of the Maltese Islands speak about the discovery of this artefact in Gozo. A number of original books, engravings and manuscripts which feature this discovery are also on show in the same exhibition and include the Malta Illustrata (1772) by Giovannantonio Ciantar, Ancient and Modern Malta (1804) by Louis de Boisgelin, Malte par un Voyageur François, Malta, (1791) by François-Emmanuel Guignard, Comte de Saint-Priest and Frédéric Lacroix, ‘Malte et le Goze’ in D’Avezac’s Isole dell’Africa (1851) as well as a manuscript from the archives of the parish church of Ghajnsielem. The statuette represents a seated man on a wicker basket with upraised arms, one holding a bowl and the other the feet of another figure which was broken off in antiquity. An interesting feature of this statuette is a number of curious symbols which have been interpreted as religious Gnostic symbols. The Gnostics were a popular religious and philosophical movement in the Roman world of the second and third centuries.

The exhibition is open Monday to Friday between 8am and 4pm till 10 July. Entry is free of charge.

Upon termination of the exhibition, the statuette will be placed with the permanent collection on display at the Gozo Museum of Archaeology.