Eggs, eggs...and more eggs
A pictorial guide to the humble egg's journey - from an ancient symbol to fine art
It’s an official egg holiday. Eggs have been a powerful motif in art and culture, transcending our Easter tradition of egg decorating by thousands of years1.
‘Easter’ unfurls from the tapestry of ancient customs, derived from the Saxon spring festival Ēostre, a testament to the enduring human fascination with cycles of renewal and rejuvenation. Centuries before, pagan festivals celebrated fertility and the rebirth of the earth after the cold embrace of winter.
Medieval artists adapted the eggs’ pagan traditions into the Christian theological framework - reflecting the narrative of death, resurrection and the potential for spiritual renewal within faith.
By the late Renaissance, the representation of eggs in art became more nuanced. Artists used eggs not just for religious themes but also explored the promise of new discoveries and the mysteries of life itself, linking the spiritual and earthly realms through their symbolic representations.
A humble egg yet so much symbolism. So many rich layers of meaning contained in such a simple shape.2
Take a peek at the collection below and you’ll find a delightful scramble of human and egg interactions! There they are, gathering eggs in baskets, cradling them with tender care, dancing around them with joyous abandon, smashing them in moments of chaos, and even drunkardly sitting on top of a giant one. Watch as they emerge from eggs, only to dive back in, hide within, or play a concert from one - it’s all in there. You’ll see intricately decorated eggs but also, if you look really closely, eggs with legs. You’ll never look at an egg in the same way again!
Happy Easter!
Ax
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Decorated ostrich eggs found in Africa, dating back 60,000 years, highlight their ancient significance. In early civilisations like the pre-dynastic Egypt and Mesopotamia, eggs symbolised death and rebirth, as well as kingship. Decorated eggs and their representations in gold and silver were found in graves of Sumerians and Egyptians over 5,000 years ago, suggesting a profound cultural and possibly spiritual importance. This rich heritage likely influenced the early Christian and Islamic traditions.
An egg is both fragile and filled to the brim with potential. For themes of purity (immaculate conception), creation and intertwining physical and spiritual mysteries, see Piero della Francesca in my selection.
The egg narrative shifts with Biachacca (also included), exploring themes of destiny, the blurring of boundaries between gods and mortals, and the profound impact of mythological events on human history.
‘The Concert in the Egg’ (featured above) is a commentary on the folly and absurdity of human endeavours, but also portrays the egg as the ideal of celestial harmony influencing the earthly realm.
Modernist abstraction strips the egg down to its essence. Brancusi’s work (the only sculpture in my collection) invites a universal meditation on existence and the possibilities inherent in simplicity.