Posted 13 years ago
miKKoChris…
(52 items)
This Easter, I had the pleasure of presenting this beautiful old egg to my noble Dentist and his noble wife, in thanksgiving for their generosity in offering to attend me after hours during my root canal 'adventure'. My Dentist said, 'Call me if you have pain - it doesn't matter if it's midnight, we'll be there.' I didn't call after hours, but the knowledge that I could was a potent balm....
There is a bit of mystery about this egg, and we should like your assistance in resolving it. I purchased this old egg as some time ago from a London dealer. Dealer thought that it was probably Greek, but I think that it is perhaps Romanian.
Subject matter is “Christ is Risen”. The message is rendered in what I think is Romanian at the top, and English at the bottom – ‘Hristos a înviat!’ (with “a” flaked away, I think), and ‘Christ is Risen!’ The artist pays tribute to traditional icon standards, but paints with a powerful individuality. The geometric design on the reverse of egg is unique in my personal experience. Paint on wooden egg is unstable; frontal image has sustained damage, though it is very substantially intact. Dimensions: 3 and 7/16 inches long, 2 and 1/8 inches wide. This egg is exceptionally beautiful; I am a very poor photographer.
Has anyone seen a similar egg? Can anyone confirm that this is Romanian - or, other? Does anyone recognize the pattern on the reverse of the egg? Any comments would be greatly appreciated. We are all eager to learn more about this egg.
Many thanks to you for your kind attention and assistance! Regards, miKKo
Do a Google for wooden Paschal egg and you will find lots of info. Hristos a înviat is written on Romanian Paschal eggs.
There's a group here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/788479@N24/
"These are traditional Easter Eggs from Romania's borders of 1920 as well as from those ethnic Romanian villages beyond its current borders as well as Easter Eggs of various Romanian=speaking ethnic groups South of the Danube - Aromanian, Vlachs, Tsintsars, Kutso-Vlachs, Istro-Romanians etc which are to be found in the former Yugoslavial, Greece, Albania, Bulgaria"
It's a stunner!
wonderful egg.
Many, many thanks to ye for your most kind appreciation and generous assistance on this quest!!! I love this egg, and it is very gratifying to read your responses.
Beautiful !!!!!!!!!!! And after just having a terrible Dentist 2 days ago . I am glad yours was good . Thanks for sharing this treasure . Love love it
Thank you, kindly, officialfuel and scandinavian_pieces!!! miKKo
scandinavian_pieces reports that she has double-loved this egg, though it doesn't show in the posting. So, I post her comment below:
Hi Mikko, Sorry is my terminology! well I loved it once before and clicked love again today because I love it so much but you only get to see the one love!!! however I could easily afford it more! ; )
Thank you so very much, scandinavian_pieces, for your great kindness!!! Regards, miKKo
Hi, scandinavian_pieces! The egg itself is carved out of solid wood in the traditional way. A matte finish, chalky paint shows through from underneath the surface painting on the Christ-side of the egg. Possibly, this matte paint is tempura. The paint type on the surface above it is unidentified. The paint used on the geometric side is a semi-gloss paint, and it is intact. It is possible that this paint is a relatively recent acrylic-type paint, which might date, say, from the 1970's ff. It is a mystery. The only way to know for sure the composition and age of the paint is for an expert to test it. That would involve testing samples from at least these three paints. The egg remains a bit of a mystery. Thanks again for your most kind attention!!! miKKo
Hi, scandinavian_pieces! These traditional 'Russian' type eggs are fashioned from solid wood. Sometimes, when the finish on the ground is translucent, one can see that the egg has been carved from the core of a tree (or near-core). I don't know if all of them are carved from the core, but they are all solid wood. I cannot tell for sure if they're hardwood. I've dropped only one, and it resulted in a small ding. As a group, the wood seems quite durable. The egg above weighed perhaps 7-9 ounces, possibly more. I have one old Russian 'mourning' egg of Czar Alexander III, again acquired from a London dealer. It is very heavy for its size and type, and the form is sublime. I expect that it has been fashioned of very fine wood. Unfortunately, the glaze is severely damaged, and it obscures the Czar's image. It is very difficult to get a good photograph of the Czar egg. I have meant to post it on Show and Tell, but have been too busy with the Doniphan portrait to wrestle with the camera. One day soon, though....Thanks so much for your kind words and appreciation! Regards, miKKo
Hi, Lisa! Thank you kindly for your appreciation! I just visited your collection, and delighted in your Art Deco treasures! Hope to see many more of your treasures. Regards, miKKo
Thank you kindly, scandinavian_pieces!!! miKKo
Hi, scandinavian_treasures! REF the Doniphan portrait of a little girl that hellokitty posted about a month ago, I am researching. It's a beautiful painting. If you examine the new photos hellokitty took and deposited in photobucket, you'll be charmed. To see them, just enter hellokitty's listing, scroll way down near the bottom of the postings and click on the photobucket link. Dorsey Doniphan painted the little girl; he also painted U.S. Secretary of Navy, Curtis D. Wibur, which painting I've posted as supporting evidence via a Show and Tell. I wanted to show what a great painter Doniphan was, and this was the easiest placeholder for Secretary Wilbur's image. Sunday evening, I'll post to hellokitty's entry what we know about Doniphan. Lots of deadends, but also some information that I hope will enhance appreciation of this little girl. Many thanks for your gracious inquiry! By the way, I see you have a beautiful dog! I had two Scottish Terriers - one incorrigible little sugar muffin girl named after Alexander the Great and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and a noble boy named Colonel Buckles. They are in heaven now.
In my youth, I painted portraits, and I was an amateur calligrapher. I currently have nerve damage in my hands, and so don't do much of either these days. My last painting was two year ago - Christmas card for a beautiful lady, "The Queen of Love and Beauty". She was a saint, and is now with the angels. I had to prop my hand up and paint 'pointillism style' - one can rectify bloopers rather easily in pointillism. My calligraphy is bad nowadays, but I find that people appreciate the effort nonetheless when I send them a thank you note in calligraphy. Do you paint? If so, which medium, please, and what subjects do you like to paint? Please pardon the personal comment, but you have a keen appreciation for beauty. Thank you! Regards, miKKo
Hi, scandinavian_treasures! Many thanks for your gracious comments. A link to hellokitty6811's entry:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/51817-dorsey-doniphan-painting
I suspect that you do paint well, but that your standards are so high that you are dissatisfied by your own work. That is a good sign! I'm glad you're surrounded by those who love art. My old Philosophy Professor used to remark "beauty refreshes", and so it does. Perhaps one day we'll see one of your watercolors. I bet your calligraphy is charming, too. In the meantime, it is a delight to encounter you, your treasures, and your comments and graciousness on CW. Hope the day is a blessed one for you and woofie. Regards, miKKo
Thank you kindly, bratjdd!!! Regards, miKKo
LOVELY miKKo! Thank god for my retired dentist who let me drag him out of bed at 5.30am. Have never found one that good since.
Thank you kindly, flowerrose!!! Wow, you must have been in agony to call a dentist at 5:30 in the morning. I am so glad that he responded to your urgent need! I've always been fortunate to have good dentists, but this one fell off of a meteor. He and his wife have worked medical mission trips. One of them was to Rwanda. It was hard to hear about the orphaned children in the camp (perhaps approx. 300?) who had contracted some epidemic - perhaps cholera? God is with those two. I'm glad He found a compassionate man for you in your hour of need! Regards, miKKo
They are pulling their teeth out here in NZ with pliers!!! dentists are a rip off over here - many go to Asia for cheap treatment. But it has got pretty dyer if they are using shed tools to do the job!!
yes he was a lovely old man who i hugged with complete gratitude afterwards.
Oh, flowerrose, that sounds terrible. Yes, Dentists can be expensive, but pulling one's own tooth sounds quite dreadful. I am so thankful that you found a good, compassionate dentist. miKKo
Thank you kindly, musikchoo!!! miKKo
Thank you kindly, Deanteaks!!! : )
Thank you kindly, Honest!!! : )
Thank you very much, birdie, for your kind appreciation!!! : )
Thank you very much for your kind appreciation, bratjdd, antiquesandcollectibles38, and kerry10456!!! : )
*°·`*~~ SEASON'S GREETINGS - MIKKO!~~*`.°*
Thank you very much for your very kind wishes, Vetraio!!! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!!! Thank you for making 2014 so interesting and fun!!! May your many kindnesses come back to you seven-fold in the new year!!! : ))