Easter eggs absorbent cotton large

Something that has stood the test of time (and more than just hits the nerve of its time) survives over time and may eventually become a tradition. That's what happened to the Easter bunny, that's what happened to the Easter egg - and it's a similar story with the process developed around a hundred years ago, according to which these Easter eggs are turned by hand in Thuringia. For those who are now wondering, because Thuringia is better known for its artistic craftsmanship in glass and porcelain or for its woodworking, yes, these eggs are actually made from absorbent cotton (cellulose). This means that Thuringia as a production location is closer than the first impression suggests: Cellulose is obtained from wood, mostly from sawmill residue - and we are back to the traditional material and optimal upcycling. An immersion bath in dyed gelatine hardens the absorbent cotton Easter eggs and gives them their decorative base color. The stylized flower motifs are also dabbed on by hand using fine needles - making each Easter egg a small, delicate one-off.

Which came first: the rabbit or the egg? At Easter, we can make an unqualified case for the egg: Since the earliest beginnings of Christianity, the egg has been a symbol of fertility; it stands for new life and the resurrection of Christ. The Easter bunny, by contrast, had to prevail against illustrious competitors before it could establish itself as the exclusive egg supplier, depending on the region: the fox, the cuckoo and the stork – or even against the church bells flying home from Rome. Of course, not only the egg itself but also its colouring has a special significance. In the sphere of influence of the Orthodox Church, you found traditionally eggs dyed exclusively in red – in Christian symbolism, red stands for the blood of Christ. Over time and regionally differentiated, especially the Roman Catholic Church added other colours and significant meanings, for example, white symbolizing purity, yellow representing wisdom, and orange signifying endurance and strength.

Besides the festive-decorative purpose, there once was a thoroughly functional purpose that led to the dyeing of eggs (and, at the same time, to the tradition of hard-boiled Easter eggs): The peasants of the Middle Ages dyed their own eggs red to distinguish them from those they had to hand over to their landlord. What’s more, farmers preserved eggs by boiling them during the forty-day fasting period, when it was not allowed to eat eggs. Dyeing the different batches of eggs in one colour each helped colour-coding them before storing. The coding gave the farmers an overview of the growing supply of eggs and was an early form of best-before date. One could easily tell which batch of eggs comprised the oldest and was first in line for consumption.

This product is an example of genuine handicraft; therefore, minor deviations in size and colour may occur.