March 1999

EASTER PAINTED EGGS FROM ROMANIA

 

      Chicken and duck eggs painted in many colors and with intricate patterns, can be seen in many shops and museums in Romania and for sale at the entrance gates of Bucovina monasteries.
In many farm households, can be found small collections of painted eggs in glass cupboards in living rooms.

       These photos, shows the latest generation of an ever-evolving village art from the Moldovita area in Bucovina, with eggs design becoming more and more elaborated. All the painted eggs are handmade by farmer's women.

       According to the memory of these women, a few village women made these eggs since hundred years ago, for the Easter celebration only. They constituted a part of the food basket that was taken at Easter to the church, for blessing.
       These painted eggs had generally cross designs, but animal motives were also used for additional eggs at home. The eggs were simply hand-painted with plant dyes then boiled.

       A Batik-style egg painting (where part of the egg was covered with wax patterns, then dipped in dyes, with the wax subsequently dissolved by heat) was introduced about 30 years ago.

       All styles of Easter eggs painting can still be found in the villages: the common red egg used as gift for visitors, hand-pencilled eggs with cross, church or saint motives, symmetrical line patterns, flower and animal motives and various Batik-stile patterns.

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