Czech 73 Republic

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Eva Večerková

The Common Egg as National Art

Archeological excavations in 1971 of the old slavic burial site in Velké Hostěrádky in southernMoravia uncovered a grave dating to the 11th century that contained egg shells with an originalred coloring and traces of geometric design. The old Czech word kraslice, a decorated Easter egg,was first included in a Latin- Czech dictionary of verse around 1365.

During the social and cultural emancipation of the Czech nation, which reached its height inthe late 19th century, Easter eggs demonstrated a unique national and cultural characteristicthat regional and national ethnographic exhibitions along with museum collections valued andrespected. Across the broad spectrum of Czech society this folk art was representative of thecountry's national art and the making of Easter eggs was promoted and later popularized inschools and classes. They appeared on postcards, as decorations on a variety of Easter waresand bestowed as gifts symbolic of a folk and national heritage to important representatives ofcultural, political, and public life.

Some people specialized in the creation of such Easter eggs and they had their own distinctclient circles, whether they were in villages, in surrounding environs, or at the marketplace.Towards the end of the 19th century centers were established for the wholesale production ofEaster eggs, such as in Moravia and especially in Ostrožská Nová Ves and Vnorovy. These eggswere then sold in cities, such as Brno, Prague, and Vienna, and as souvenirs in Bohemian andSlovakian spas. Associations such as the guild of Zádruha( 1890-1996) and Ústředí lidovýchuměleckých řemesel( Center for Folk Art Production, 1959-1992) successfully presented theseeggs abroad as expressions of cultural Czech traditions. In this way they transcended their localand regional borders, were labeled as Moravian- Slovakian or Moravian Easter eggs, dependingon their origin, and recognized as an expression of Czech ethnicity and culture.

There is great variety in the decorative art of Czech Easter eggs. Each individual CzechMoravské Zemské Muzeum region distinguishes itself by the color, kinds of tools, and techniques used. The most popularEtnografický ústav and widespread method for decorating is the use of bee's wax with the addition of color, a tech-Mährisches Museum nique that is considered to be the oldest. In wider Czech circles this type of decorating has beenEthnographische Abteilung influenced by the more popular literature of the 20th century and labeled as such, batik. DependingKobližná 1, CZ- 602 00 Brnoon the tool and the manner in which the bee's wax is applied to the egg, there are two distinctdesign styles, which are further delineated by geographic regions: there is the so- called»> Drop-Method,«< most widespread in Bohemia, western and middle Moravia, and Silesia, and the» Linear- Method,«< which is popular in Moravian Slovakia and the Moravian Wallachia. The linearornamentation of Easter eggs from eastern Moravia is comparable to the batik- styled Eastereggs of middle eastern and southeastern Europe( Poland, Hungary, southern Slavic countries).These ancient methods of decorating of Easter eggs are still used today in the Czech Republic.

Tschechische Republik

LiteraturEva Večerková, Kraslice ve sbírkáchMoravského zemského muzea.( Verzierte Ostereier aus den Samm-lungen des Mährischen Museums)Brno, Etnografický ústavMoravského zemského muzea,2003.