Blue skies, wind in your hair, and past the salt farms, the Giuseppe Whitaker Museum, located on the little island of San Pantaleo off the western coast of Sicily, features an excellent collection of Phoenician artifacts collected by amateur archaeologist Joseph ‘Giuseppe’ Whitaker. Whitaker, renowned for his work featured in the States for his collection of Tunisian birds in the Natural History Museum, is more notable in Italy for his amateur work in the archaeological field; his focus is the rich history of the ancient city of Motya.

This vast collection of Phoenician objects is displayed at an expansive location of the Giuseppe Whitaker Museum, housed in the villa Whitaker himself lived in. Most of the objects featured within the space hail from the island it currently stands on, formerly known as Motya. The Whitaker Collection comprises inscriptions and masks, ceramics, gifts from Motya’s ancient necropolis, amphorae, tombs, lamps, and stunning ex-votos. All encased in vitrine sculptures are placed so that the viewer can walk 360 degrees around them. These were artifacts placed as gifts to fulfill vows or express appreciation for healing from an accident or illness.

The museum itself is contained on the first floor, with room after room of artifacts; several vitrines contain small objects such as fragments or coins, and giant objects such as pottery and sculptures. With each object, from full artifacts to fragments, each piece is labeled. The collection is split chronologically into parts based on the main stages of Mozia’s history (Prehistoric/Phoenician and Punic/Youth of Mozia). This collection serves as a reservoir of Phoenician and Punic legacy and a symbol of cross-cultural exchanges between ancient Mediterranean civilizations.

Within our research, an important consideration that crossed our path was that while Whitaker is an ornithologist, which is the study of birds, it wasn’t until the end of his life that he decided to take a chance on archaeology. It brings into question whether the rich history of Motya might not have been known for centuries, possibly even lost. Whitaker’s excavation of Motya was an essential turning point in the study of Phoenician civilization in the Mediterranean, contributing greatly to our understanding of ancient marine societies.

If someone were to visit the Museo Giuseppe Whitaker, a major suggestion would be to immerse yourself in the untold history of this island. Get close to the objects, examine them, and think of their context and perspectives. Take your time looking at each object one by one, even if it is as small as a fragment: ask yourself questions. As art historians and artists, we want to encourage different views; we want to know what your mind leads to, too. So instead of walking past each piece in quick succession, find one. Observe, and see where your mind takes you.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Artistic Analysis of “Motya Charioteer/The Youth of Mozia.” YouTube, YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhiCl5M9mtc. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.

“Collection.” Museo G. Whitaker, 30 July 2021, http://www.museodimozia.it/collection/?lang=en.

Department of Greek and Roman Art. “Athenian Vase Painting: Black- and Red-Figure Techniques: Essay: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.” The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, 1 Jan. 2000, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/vase/hd_vase.htm.

“Fish Plate: The Walters Art Museum.” Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum, 1 Aug. 2022, art.thewalters.org/detail/4530/red-figure-fish-plate/#:~:text=First%20produced%20in%20potters’%20workshops,are%20depicted%20on%20fish%20plates.

Harvey, Alun. “The Motya Charioteer.” Het Hunebed Nieuwscafé, 1 May 2020, http://www.hunebednieuwscafe.nl/2020/05/the-motya-charioteer/.

Johnson, Lily. “The Giuseppe Whitaker Museum.” History Hit, History Hit, 21 July 2021, http://www.historyhit.com/locations/the-giuseppe-whitaker-museum/.

“Motya and the Museo G. Whitaker.” West of Sicily, 24 June 2022, westofsicily.com/en/points-of-interest/motya-and-the-museo-g-whitaker/.

Motya Info, http://www.motya.info/album/506/en. Accessed 17 Oct. 2024.

Peter Sommer Travels. “The Motya Charioteer: A World-Class Ancient Sculpture in Sicily.” Peter Sommer Travels, 24 May 2024, http://www.petersommer.com/blog/another-thing/motya-charioteer.

The Walters Art Museum, 11 Oct. 2024, thewalters.org/.