The Easter egg is an artwork by the Dagestani jeweler Manaba Magomedova from the village of Kubachi goldsmiths. Manaba Omarovna is a winner of international competitions, Honored Artist of Russia, and People’s Artist of Georgia and Dagestan. She devoted three years to this work and it surpassed her other pieces in terms of form and composition. Until her death, Manaba Magomedova had been designing a prize for the international music festival “From Easter to Ascension” in the form of an Easter egg. The silver Easter egg was donated to the Museum of the History of World Cultures and Religions by the artist’s daughter.
The work combines fine designs and lace made of silver thread, subtle play of color and texture, symmetrical enamel inserts, framing by granulation, and “tamga” pattern, made in the technique of engraving by niello. The Kubachi goldsmiths use the “tamga” pattern as the focal point of any jewelry. Artistic enamel is a sophisticated jewelry technique, known around the world. Georgian artisans mastered over a thousand years ago. Special furnaces with thick walls and a maximum internal temperature of 800 degrees are used for firing such painting.
The Easter egg is mounted on a stand. It is placed on a disk, which serves as a small tray. On the top of the Easter egg is a stand in the form of a flower, inlaid with pearls. The item opens into two equal halves, joined together by a hinge. Inside the egg there is a motley bouquet of jewels on thin silver sprigs.
The Easter egg is a symbol of Easter, the Resurrection of Christ. It is the oldest and most important holiday in the Christian tradition. Historically, the Easter egg was a metaphor for the Holy Sepulcher, in which eternal life is hidden, and the red color was a symbol of the Savior’s blood and power. According to Christian legend, the first person to whom Jesus appeared after the resurrection was his follower Mary Magdalene. She went to Rome to see Emperor Tiberius, presented him with a white egg and announced the Ascension of Christ. “The white egg would sooner turn red than a man would rise from the dead, ” replied the emperor, and in the same instant the egg turned crimson.
The work combines fine designs and lace made of silver thread, subtle play of color and texture, symmetrical enamel inserts, framing by granulation, and “tamga” pattern, made in the technique of engraving by niello. The Kubachi goldsmiths use the “tamga” pattern as the focal point of any jewelry. Artistic enamel is a sophisticated jewelry technique, known around the world. Georgian artisans mastered over a thousand years ago. Special furnaces with thick walls and a maximum internal temperature of 800 degrees are used for firing such painting.
The Easter egg is mounted on a stand. It is placed on a disk, which serves as a small tray. On the top of the Easter egg is a stand in the form of a flower, inlaid with pearls. The item opens into two equal halves, joined together by a hinge. Inside the egg there is a motley bouquet of jewels on thin silver sprigs.
The Easter egg is a symbol of Easter, the Resurrection of Christ. It is the oldest and most important holiday in the Christian tradition. Historically, the Easter egg was a metaphor for the Holy Sepulcher, in which eternal life is hidden, and the red color was a symbol of the Savior’s blood and power. According to Christian legend, the first person to whom Jesus appeared after the resurrection was his follower Mary Magdalene. She went to Rome to see Emperor Tiberius, presented him with a white egg and announced the Ascension of Christ. “The white egg would sooner turn red than a man would rise from the dead, ” replied the emperor, and in the same instant the egg turned crimson.
