—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 11.1978
52
Oier gritzele
(Continued from Page 50)
Occasionally, Evelyn said
she finds eggs which will not
take a dye. In that case, she
uses V* cup vinegar to one
quart of water and soaks the
egg in the solution for 10-15
minutes. Usually a film is
removed and the egg can be
successfully colored.
Evelyn notes that early
Pennsylvania German
designs used a lot of hearts,
bird and tulips. The bird or
distelfink, was a
representation of the
European goldfinch which
was known as the bird of
good luck. The tulip, which
appears often in Penn
sylvania German folk art,js
considered by some to Tie
used “just for nice.” Evelyn,
however, believes that it is a '
symbol of the Holy Trinity,
the father, the son and the
Holy Ghost.
Animals were frequently
used on early designs, and
“anything close to nature
became motifs. They were
agricultural people, and
used anything in everyday
life.
In making eggs, Evelyn
believes it is important to
date and sign them, although
one timid soul suggested
class members would need
to use a starting date and a
completion date!
Evelyn uses an acrylic
spray to make the finish
bright on the eggs and
protect the surface from
unwanted scratches. Her
mother, she recalls, rubbed
lard on the eggs to achieve
the same effect.
For blown eggs, especially
those obtained from a hat
chery, the small hole can be
sealed with beeswax. “I melt
beeswax and a colored
crayon in a small aluminum
plate over a candle. I use a
paring knife to apply it to the
hole, and when it dries I add
another layer of wax. I cut
the excess off with a razor
blade,” Evelyn explains.
All of her eggs are done
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free hand, and Evelyn says
she works with the contour of
the egg. She decides what
she wants, and then scrat
ches it on as she goes,
beginning with the design
which wUI be the focal point.
It can take hours and hours
to complete a single egg,
depending upon the design
selected and the size-of the
egg.
Having learned from her
mother, Evelyn says she’s
been scratching eggs for a
long time. “I started
seriously in 1972. When my
last baby grew up, I decided
to come to the Museum and
learn more about my
heritage. In looking through
books I discovered egg
scratching. I didn’t know
anybody who was doing it, so
I would scratch while
volunteering as a guide. It’s
fun for me - reviving an art.
It’s relaxing for me to do,”
she says.
She is pleased with the
renewed interest in old
crafts today and explains it
by saying. “People must
create. We all like to have
beautiful things - there is art
in everything. After a hard
day’s work we want to do
something different. It is a
pleasure to have something
you did, something you
created with your hands. It
is also nice to keep crafts
alive and to be able to do
something which Grandma
did.”
Evelyn told her class that
eggs were very important to
the early Pennsylvania
Germans, but eggs were
even given as gifts earlier by
the ancient Persians and
Greeks at their Spring
festivals. In pre-Christian
times eggs were symbols of
fertility, and after
Christianity eggs became
the symbol of resurrection.
To put the attitudes of the
Pennsylvania Germans in
perspective, Evelyn related
the history of Germany,
saying that the barbaric
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tribes of early Germany
were conquered and
civilized by the Romans.
Then followed a period of
rule by noblemen over their
individual provinces, but
much warring existed as
they tried to gain others’
provinces. The history of
warring in-Germany is long,
and a great migration oc
curred after the Thirty
Years War, a religious war
which killed half the poeple
of Germany. The people who
eventually came to this
country for religious
freedom had virtually
nothing, having come from a
country torn by war.
Therefore,- their art was
simple..
The earliest known
decorated egg was found in a
tomb in Worms, Germany in
the fourth Century, A.D.
From A.D. 400-1500 red eggs
were very popular, sym
bolizing blood, victory, love
and royalty, Evelyn said.
Ornately decorated eggs
were cherished among the
early Pennsylvania Ger
mans and were stored with,
other family keepsakes.
Very few early scratched
eggs are in existence, but
those few remaining ones
are" collectors’ items, and
some are now displayed in
museums. Early eggs
sometimes had not only the
date and signature of the
UNCL AIMED FREIGHT
A LIQUIDATION SALES
NOT ONLY OUR ROOFS CAME
DOWN, OUR PRICES CAME
WAY, WAY DOWN!
We Are Not Going Out Of Business -
We Are Selling Merchandise So That We Can Rebuild.
still left
DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER
“artist” but also the name of Lucille Huber. Lititz, lives For, Linda _Gruber, Lan
the recipient and the 6c- on a poultry farm and said, caster, this is an extension of
casion on which it was given. “I’m always looking for her interest in pysanky, a
For those taking the class ways to do things with eggs. Ukranian method of egg
at Landis Valley, their I like crafts and I usually decorating. She said, “I
reasons are varied. Susan don’t take the time to do it, enjoy all art forms and Ido
Cunningham, an antique so I thought I'd take this several otheregg decorating
dealer from Denver, said, “I class.” She said she’d let her forms. Evelyn is the one to
want to make one each year teenaged children decide if tea™ ro , rn ; 1 ” , . .
for my son. I have seen they liked the craft and if Though the designs can be
Evelyn do it and wanted to they did, then it would be a intricate, egg scratching
learn.” She admitted to success, itself is a simple art,
being scared when she first “I’ll go anywhere to learn requiring little. With Evelyn
started the intricate designs, a craft," said Lillian Patten, leading the revival through
but “then I found I could Palmyra, who is- using her demonstrations and
erase my_ mistakes.” She vacation days- to - take the teaching, the art form of the
scratched out the course. “I’ve seen Mrs. simple Pennsylvania Ger
background - where- - her Althouse demonstrate and I mans will continue to be
“mistake” occurred, and thought it would be nice to appreciated by many
continued with a new design, learn. ’ ’ generations to come.
1 ARTIFICIAL BREEDING INSTRUCTION COURSE {
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♦ ♦
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Learn basic information about artificial insemination, diagnoismg
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For more information write or call;
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f Attention: Buck Schaeffer ▼
I P.O. Box 555, Frederick, MD 21701 J
J 301-898-9101 or 301-658-6222 I
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Lancaster - 3019 Hempland Road
Next To 84 Lumber - 397-6241
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Must Go. Bring Your Truck.
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Cash - Carry and Terms
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792-3502
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