Decorative Egg Collecting

Just as there are many nations, there are mnay decorative eggs representing those nations. The strong, the weak, the simple and the mighty, have developed a sense of kindred spirit associated with decorative eggs.
Decorative eggs have a multitude of uses, objects of personal pride and enhancements for your office, or home.

Eggs can define your interests on many decorative levels. If you are interested in a particular part of the world and enjoy the mystery of that country, eggs can describe the legacy of a country, the human emotions, toil and celebration of a what a country feels internally. Why not research the many aspects of a particular country and how the introduction of eggs can widen the beauty of your special room. You may also wish to provide a sense of adventure by collecting eggs with a historical background. Even in an office, eggs can offer visitors a chance to relax and learn about you as an individual and how you define yourself with your egg collection.

Eggs can also be a source of gift-giving. Many times, we want to gift someone, but cannot think of a single item to give. Gifting an egg can be exciting for you and the lucky person receiving the egg. Let's say you have an opportunity to purchase a gift for someone at your office, a family member or a that special someone you are interested in keeping in your life, why not consider an egg. You have to do a little research, does this person have a particular interest? Flowers, animals, colors, foreign intrigue, or sport.

I have been collecting decorative eggs for more than twenty years. Many of the 100 or so eggs in my collection have been ordered from the Boston Museum of Art, the Smithsonian, speciality houses such as Past Times in London England and the Southwest Indian Foundation. Several eggs have been received as gifts from family and friends traveling in the states and abroad. My collection includes several types or variations. The actual egg shell can be in open-etched or designed egg shapes in crystal, wood, glass, gem stone, or many other composites. Whether it is a beaded American Indian egg, or a fine crystal egg, each emit its own pride and empowerment of excellence. The egg is so simple, yet has been depicted as a most adored ornament when added to a collection.

Eggs have symbolic meanings to many cultures as well as a variety of processes for their creation, developed over many years. The heritage and skills of the craftspeople who bring honor with each egg they create deserve respect. Understanding the methods used by specific countries in the production of eggs gives added personal value also.

Here are but a few examples of the unique eggs I have collected over the years. I encourage you the reader, to open your mind to see a mental picture as I explain the eggs.

The KALEIDOSCOPE Egg is wonderful in its construction. This egg represents a noble heritage, orginally designed by Carl Faberge for Czar Alexander III of Russia, and his son Nicholas II. Many of the Faberge eggs open to reveal breathtaking surprises such as wildflowers and brilliant blossom of color and scens. Faberge's fine crystal is carved to display formations of brilliant refelctions of captured light and angles.

Hand painted eggs from China depict Chinese symbols and motifs such as birds, animals and flowers, many of which are inside-painted or reverse painting of the glass. The artists chooses from a selection of miniature curved and bent-shafted brushes and hand paints the minute detail on the inside of the hand-blown glass. This process is followed from outline to the appliction of the individual colors and takes approximately two days for each egg.

Pewter eggs are a typical Victorian vogue for ornamental pincushions. Often these were displayed on a mantlepiece to keep a few useful pins on hand when needed by housewives or servants.

There are two widely popular processes of decorative eggs, the ancient art of Champleve', combines the craft of enameling and metalwork with the arts of line drawing color and light mixture; and similar in appearance to the Cloisonne design, which is a process of working with wire to create the fields for enameling.

When considering egg collecting, keep in mind the price range of an egg varies from a few dollars to several thousand, depending on the type and size of egg purchased. It is also necessary to decide on how you wish to display such a collection. Diplays can vary, just as the type and size of a collection. There aer the small wall mounted, shelf cupboards, but they do not provide the proper lighting and viewing needed to enjoy the eggs. There are several styles of furniture that can be used as display cases. My husband designed and constructed a curio cabinet for my collection. As a distinctive contribution of its own, this EGG CRATE signifies beauty, strength and character with the lights playing off the mirrored back-board and the glass that almost floats and suspends in mid-air to offer a place for each egg to rest. The side opening doors allow full view of the majesty of the prized eggs that have been carefully arranged to give visual pleasure and intellectual stimulation of their design. The richness of the mellow, deep, syrupy stain that enhances earthy rings of oak, captured by the ages is a splind sight.

In conclusion, "the giving of a decorated egg has been an important tradition in the Old World for many years. The Egg, symbolizing the Source of Life, is given to express the love and friendship that lies deep in the heart of the giver". We should feel honored that the New World did not forget such a tradition for us to take into the future.