Easter egg – intaglio motifs

About the sound

Remenke or Remenice are decorated Easter eggs made in the north-eastern part of Slovenia in the Prekmurje region. The eggs are decorated using a traditional intaglio technique in which designs are created by incising into the surface of an eggshell with a sharp blade.
In the recording Anica Kosednar is decorating the egg.
Chicken, goose, duck and more recently ostrich eggs are first "blown" and then the eggshells are decorated. Once the egg is blown, the eggshell is coloured with synthetic wood dyes in either transversal or longitudinal stripes. When they have dried, different motifs are then scratched through the coloured layer with a sharp blade. Remenke are traditionally decorated with floral motifs, for instance bunches of flowers, although other motifs have been used more recently.
The intaglio technique and the use of wood dyes emerged in Prekmurje between the world wars. Remenke, which are traditionally made and exhibited in Easter time, can also be found as souvenirs throughout the year. They are one of most distinctive elements of folk tradition and identity for the local population.


Sound recordist: Dušan Oblak
Photographer: Irena Marušič
Video Recordist: Barbara Grilc