REFLEKTOR / SPOTLIGHT
Najstarija ukrašena jaja The oldest decorated eggs
Iako ih danas povezujemo pre svega sa hrišćanskom tradicijom, običaj ukrašavanja jaja mnogo je stariji od samog Vaskrsa Najstariji poznati primeri farbanja jaja potiču iz Afrike. Arheolozi su u južnoj Africi pronašli ukra- šene ljuske nojevih jaja stare oko 60.000 godina, sa urezanim geometrijskim šarama. Smatra se da su služile kao posude za vodu, ali ornamentika poka- zuje da je čak i tada postojala potreba da se svakod- nevni predmeti ukrase simbolima i motivima. U an- tičkoj Persiji jaja su bila deo praznika koji označava početak nove godine i dolazak proleća. Obojena ja- ja postavljala su se na praznični sto kao simbol živo- ta i obnove prirode. Sličan običaj postojao je i u sta- rom Rimu, a Rimljani su jaje smatrali znakom novog početka. Sa širenjem hrišćanstva u Evropi jaje dobija no- vo značenje. Tokom srednjeg veka bila su zabranje- na u vreme posta, pa su se čuvala do Vaskrsa, kada su ponovo postajala deo trpeze. Upravo tada nasta- je običaj da se jaja kuvaju i boje, kako bi se razliko- vala sveža od onih koja su bila sačuvana tokom posta. U aristokratskim krugovima Evro-
Although we today primarily associate the custom of decorating eggs with the Christian tradition, it is actually much older than Easter itself. The oldest known examples of decorated eggs comes from Africa. Archaeologists found decorated ostrich eggshells in southern Africa that date back around 60,000 years and include carved geometric patterns. They are thought to have served as water containers, while the ornamentation demonstrates that people felt a need to decorate everyday objects with symbols and motifs even back then. The ancient Persians used eggs as part of a holiday marking the start of the new year and the arrival of spring. Dec- orated eggs were placed on tables as a symbol of life and the renewal of nature. A similar custom existed in ancient Rome, with the Romans also considering the egg a sign of new beginnings. With Christianity’s expansion across Europe, the egg took on new meaning. They were forbidden dur- ing Lent in the middle ages, which is why they were kept until Easter, when they again became part of the festive spread. It was then that the custom of boiling and dying eggs emerged as a way of distinguishing fresh eggs from those that had been preserved during Lent. Decorating eggs gradually grew
pe ukrašavanje jaja postepeno prera- sta u pravu umetnost. Najpoznati- ji primer su luksuzna dekorativna jaja koja je krajem 19. i počet- kom 20. veka izrađivala ruska radionica „Peter Karl Faberže“ za porodicu ruskog cara. Ta ja- ja, izrađena od zlata, emajla i dragog kamenja, danas su među najpoznatijim umet- ničkim predmetima inspi- risanih vaskršnjom simbo- likom. Od prastarih nojevih ja- ja sa urezanim linijama do minijaturnih umetničkih re- mek-dela, tradicija ukrašavanja jaja pokazuje koliko je ovaj jed- nostavni simbol duboko ukore- njen u čovekovoj kulturi. Bez obzira na tehniku ili materijal, ideja je osta- la ista: jaje je mali znak života koji se stalno obnavlja.
among Europe’s aristocratic circles to become a real art form. The most fa- mous examples are the luxurious dec- orative eggs made at the Russian workshop of Peter Carl Fabergé for Russia’s Imperial family in the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. These eggs, made from gold, enamel and precious gems, are today among the most famous objects inspired by the symbolism of Easter. From ancient ostrich eggs en- graved with patterns to miniature masterpieces of art, the tradition of egg decoration shows how deep- ly rooted in human culture this simple symbol is. Regardless of the technique or material used, the idea remains the same: the egg is a small sign of life’s constant renewal.
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