Short answer: our Mediterranean Heritage range takes its shapes, patterns and colours from Malta itself: prehistoric temples, fishing boats, floor tiles, building stone and balconies. Each vase is designed and 3D-printed in our studio in Malta.
Tarxien: spirals carved over 4,500 years ago
The Tarxien Temples, near Paola, were in use until about 2500 BC. Some of their stone slabs are decorated with flat, raised spirals. Our Tarxien vase wraps a band of double spirals around a warm café-latte amphora.
Ġgantija: the giants' temples of Gozo
The Ġgantija Temples on Gozo date from about 3600 to 3000 BC, making them among the oldest free-standing stone structures in the world. They are part of the Megalithic Temples of Malta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ġgantija vase borrows their rough, pitted stone surface.
The luzzu: colour and the eye
Malta's traditional fishing boats, the luzzijiet, are painted in bright yellow, red, green and blue, and many carry a pair of eyes on the bow, often called the Eye of Horus or Osiris. The custom may go back to the Phoenicians. Our Luzzu vase takes the stripes; Għajn (Maltese for "eye") takes the eye.
Patterned floor tiles
Patterned cement tiles arrived in Malta in the second half of the 19th century and soon covered the floors of townhouses with rosettes, stars and borders. The Maiolica vase turns that kind of pattern into raised relief.
Amphorae and Phoenician glass
Phoenician traders reached Malta in the first millennium BC, and amphorae carried wine and oil all over the Mediterranean. The slim Anfora and the long-necked Fenicia bottle are our modern take on those ancient shapes.
Globigerina limestone
Much of Malta is built from globigerina limestone, the soft, honey-coloured stone that gives towns their warm glow. In 2019 it was recognised as a Global Heritage Stone Resource. The Globigerina vase copies its soft, porous texture.
The gallarija
The gallarija is the enclosed wooden balcony seen on Maltese streets. It first appears in the 17th century and spread through Valletta and the Three Cities in the 18th. The panelled Mdina vase is a nod to it.
Quick answers
Are these vases made in Malta?
Yes. Every AnyVases vase is designed and 3D-printed in our studio in Malta.
Do they hold water?
Yes. Fresh flowers are welcome; keep them away from heat above 60°C.
Are they replicas of museum pieces?
No. They are new designs inspired by Maltese heritage, not copies of historic objects.