Egg curiosities: from sublime to strange

Happy Easter!

Easter Eggs were originally a pagan symbol of the rebirth of nature in celebrations of spring, but were adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. Eggs favoured include painted hen’s eggs and chocolate or candy filled varieties.

As we’re adopting something of a royal theme this week, I thought I’d also mention Fabergé eggs:



This year, over a hundred masterpieces by Peter Carl Fabergé, the greatest Russian jeweller and goldsmith of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will go on display in a special exhibition at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace (23 July - 3 October 2011). Royal Fabergé will demonstrate how six successive generations of the British Royal Family, from Queen Victoria to The Queen and The Prince of Wales, have shaped the finest collection of Fabergé in the world in terms of size, range and quality.

Items on show will include the Mosaic Imperial Easter Egg acquired by Queen Mary and King George V, 1933, shown left.

And the Basket of Flowers Imperial Easter Egg, 1901 (right) - the style of which reminds me of a rather lovely mother of pearl egg at ShopCurious. (Photographs from The Royal Collection (c) 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)

Also distinctive and unusual, though a little more commonplace, are pickled eggs. Curiously reminiscent of medical specimens, these are often to be found on the shelves of British fish and chip shops, or sometimes behind the counter at selected pubs. If you’re tempted to pickle your own, a curious website called Egg Pub, offers a basic DIY recipe.



And for the very brave there’s also a spiced up version involving Scotch bonnet peppers.

Both Fabergé and pickled eggs are probably something of an acquired taste, but if offered a choice, I know which variety I’d go for.

Do you?