"Fish Bookends" by F Abella

A pair of sculptural silver bookends depicting stylised fish in an elegant S-curve form. The dimpled bodies feature a circular pierce near the top, with fins and heads forming sturdy bases. Marked “F. Abela & Sons, Hamrun Malta,” they display a silver-toned finish with light patina and mid-century character.

---

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Height:                                       15.5 cm

---

Width:                                        7 cm 

---

Depth:                                        5 cm 

---

Condition:                                  Excellent Original Condition

---

Circa:                                          1930

---

Materials:                                   Silver

---

SKU:                                           9577

---

ABOUT

F. Abela & Sons was a Maltese firm based in Ħamrun, one of the island’s principal commercial towns during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The business operated as a retailer and manufacturer associated particularly with silverware, jewellery, and decorative items. Like many Maltese family firms of the period, F. Abela & Sons served both local residents and the steady flow of visitors and naval personnel passing through Malta, which was an important British Mediterranean base.

Pieces linked to the firm are sometimes marked with the retailer’s name, indicating that the company either produced items locally or commissioned work from Maltese silversmiths and foreign manufacturers. Ħamrun itself developed into a busy trading centre with numerous workshops and retail establishments supplying jewellery, silver, and luxury goods.

F. Abela & Sons forms part of this broader tradition of Maltese family businesses that contributed to the island’s reputation for skilled metalwork and craftsmanship. Surviving marked pieces today provide evidence of Malta’s small but active decorative arts trade.