Pysanky: For the Truly Artistic (and patient) Egg Decorator

Pysanky was engrained in Ukrainian Easter history well before the birth of Jesus Christ. Because the egg is so fragile, there are no actual examples of the art in its earliest forms, but it is well documented that the art was first a form of sun worship. Ukrainians would paint these fragile and precious orbs with signs depicting the blessings they hoped for, and then offer them up to the sun. It wasn’t until the year AD 988 that Christianity was officially accepted in the Ukraine and Pysanky became “Christianized.” Many ancient symbols are now used in conjunction with Christian symbols, to affect a range of stunning symmetries.

Today, Pysanky has become an art form, but it is still possible for those of us who are not artists to perform. The right tools can make the effort easier - Pysanky is a form of wax-resist dyeing using a kind of stylus called a kistka. Some kistkas are dipped into the hot wax, and others consist of a cone filled with hot wax that feeds the nib of the stylus. Kistkas are available at most major craft stores.

The key to Pysanky is to apply colors from the lightest shade to the darkest shade in a succession of dye baths. Before each dye bath, the artist protects the areas that should remain lighter with a coat of wax.

To produce your own Pysanky egg, follow these steps:

Let raw eggs come to room temperature gradually by leaving them out of the refrigerator overnight, or use blown eggs.

Put a cotton glove on the hand that will hold the egg - this will keep the dyes from staining your hand and keep oils off the shell of the egg.

Use the kistka to draw the part of the design that is to remain white on the plain white egg with the hot beeswax. Let the wax harden.

Dip the egg into a yellow dye bath and pat dry. Cover the parts of the egg that are to remain yellow with another layer of wax.

Repeat step two with red dye, then green dye, then black dye, being careful to allow each stage to dry completely.

Hold the egg near the side of a candle flame and gently wipe melting wax off the egg until the entire design emerges. Holding the egg over the top of the flame will cause a dark carbon stain.

Seal the egg with a light coat of varnish.

Some of the symbols used in traditional Pysanky include:

Wheat - a request for a bountiful harvest
Carpathian mountain animals - signify prosperity
Dots and stars - depict Mary’s tears and stars
Eight-pointed star - the symbol of the sun god
Cross - an homage to the resurrection of Christ
Fish - a symbol of Jesus Christ, fisher of men
Triangles and netting within triangles - signifies the holy trinity and Christ as fisher of men
Designs that circle the egg with no beginning and no end - depicting eternity