Easter Eggs

Through the Creator's Eyes: Using the Subjective Camera to Study Craft Creativity

“…Easter egg decoration is not restricted to this country, or Christian Orthodox communities, and egg decoration more generally has deep historical roots in many cultures across the globe (see Gorovei, 2001;Marian, 1992;Newall, 1967Newall, , 1984. While traditionally dyed in red (reminiscent of the sacrifice of Christ), decorated eggs in Romania often display a variety of geometric and figurative motifs and are nowadays at the centre of a vital and creative custom situated at the crossing between art, religion, folklore and a growing national and international market (see Glӑveanu, 2010).…”

Ritual household deposits and the religious imaginaries of early medieval Dalmatia (Croatia)

“…Spinosa 2014:20). The concept of a cosmic egg resurfaces in medieval Europe and has been associated with eggs, particularly Ostrich eggs, suspended in churches during this and the Renaissance period (Alcock 2007: 22;Green 2006;Newall 1968). Easter eggs and egg decorating are attested from the 15 th century in Europe and since then eggs have played a part of various varied folk traditions (Fig.…”

“…In Bulgaria the crumbs from the Christmas meal are gathered and guarded until harvest time when they are thrown along with a cauldron of water and an egg under the first cart for good luck (Slaveykov 2014). In Greek Macedonia, peasants used to bury red Easter eggs in their vineyards, as well as used as a charm against hail, to cure cattle and the first red egg made was used to bless a child in the household (Newall 1968). In parts of Russia, eggs were also included as an important part of burial rites (ibid.).…”

Creativity in Context: The Ecology of Creativity Evaluations and Practices in an Artistic Craft

“…Eggs have been part of folklore and local mythologies since times immemorial. In ancient India, China, Tibet, Egypt, Phoenicia, Persia, Greece (Gorovei, 2001;Marian, 1992;Newall, 1967) they were often related to the origin of the world or the idea of totality. Traditions, especially in rural areas, still preserve some of the richness of the practices associated with colored or decorated eggs from pre-Christian times.…”

“…Eggs are decorated with the help of a chişiţă or condei (see Image 1), a stick with a metal pin at one end used to draw the motifs in wax. Eggs are successively covered with wax on certain portions according to the chosen design and immersed into color (traditionally yellow, followed by red and finally black) so that, in the end, after cleaning the wax off, the egg would show all the desired shapes and colors (Irimie, 1969;Newall, 1967;Zahacinschi and Zahacinschi, 1992). There is an impressive number of motifs used in egg decoration (Gorovei alone listing 291) classified as: geometrical, vegetal (fitomorphic), animal (zoomorphic), anthropomorphic, skeomorphic (objects), and religious (Zahacinschi and Zahacinschi, 1992, p. 35).…”