Painting Easter eggs is a tradition all over Europe. But as with
all traditions, how the eggs are decorated has its local features.
Naturally the colours and motifs used in the Carpathian basin differ
from those in the countries of Western Europe. In the village of
Zengővárkony in southern Hungary, the Museum of Finely
Decorated Eggs displays the talent of those who decorated them,
who sometimes go as far as putting stitches in the eggs.
Of the many things that distinguish Zengővárkony,
one is its spectacular location to the south of the Mecsek hills.
Even more, this small village with a population of 450 boasts of
one record after another. For example, this is where one of Europe’s
largest sweet chestnut forests is to be found, and the village
would do well in any competition for the title of “most museums
per resident” as well.
It is said that the predecessors of these old chestnut trees had
been planted by the Romans, whose empire once stretched as far
as here, for their oil. Today, the several hundred-year-old trees
cover an area of some three hectares divided into three parts and
are an integral part of the townscape. (Not for their oil but simply
for their aspect.) There is a folk custom connected to chestnuts – the
notion of the “maidens’ fair”, which used to
take place at the time when the chestnut markets were held. Zengővárkony
was dominantly a Protestant village from the 16th century on, but
it was surrounded by villages of a different ethnic, religious
and cultural make-up. For this reason, the maidens of the Zengő region
had to look further afield to other Protestant villages in the
hope of finding a husband. The young looking for a marriage partner
came to the village for the chestnut-gathering each year. Despite
the event’s great importance for the local economy, it came
to be called the
“maidens’ fair”. Five years ago, Zengővárkony acquired A rare collection
OF NOW European renown: three thousand artistically decorated eggs
were showcased in the village, by courtesy of the collector Dr.
Rózsa Nienhaus, who lives in Germany. These eggs ARE the
core of the collection housed in the Museum of Finely Decorated
Eggs. The artwork using eggs as their material are displayed in
a permanent exhibition. The eggs, a sample of the traditions of
no less than 19 countries, are displayed by artist and region.
In addition to artists from the Carpathian Basin and other parts
of Europe, the traditions of China, India, Israel and Indonesia
are also represented.
Visitors to the museum glimpse not only of egg painting styles
but also techniques such as used for batiked, wired, or shoed eggs.
Other egg-specialities of a total of some thirty variations include
crocheted, waxed, engraved, etched pieces or even eggs with a straw
fitting.
Zengővárkony also has a museum devoted to objects made
of straw and this too has acquired an international repute for
a collection which is drawn from 16 countries. The items on display
include religious symbols (crosses, boxes, straw-decorated eggs),
African harvest and Japanese New Year’s decorations, sacred
ropes guarding the entrance to Shinto temples, a Christmas straw
ram from Scandinavia and dancing skeletons from Mexico. Hats and
toys made of straw, along with straw models round out the collection.
