Eggsactly What I Wanted

What came first? The gift or the egg? People have long since been fascinated with eggs, but I’m not eggsactly sure why. Being in the antique business and collecting a variety of things, it still cracks me up when someone purchases a decorative egg. Typically they’re not for utilitarian purposes; the majority just have aesthetic value, but most often they’re purchased for a gift. There’s always a nest of eggs that show up prior to Easter in the antique malls so I went on an egg hunt to see how large of variety of eggs I could find to fill a basket.

Among the oldest was a large papier-mâché egg (French for ‘chewed paper’) covered with a vibrant-colored lithograph of a rabbit. (Far left in photo collage.) These old candy containers date back to the early 1900s thru the early 1950s, before plastic eggs came into production. They’re hard to find because they were considered disposable, or weren’t properly stored and deteriorated.

Hand-painted porcelain eggs experienced periods of popularity in the United States. China painting was one of the many beautiful arts that Victorian women indulged in to decorate their homes, along with making fine lace, needlepoint, and quilt-making. When the men went off to fight the world wars, many women took up china painting as they listened to the news of the war on the radio.

Crystal manufacturers likewise, made crystal eggs for decorative purposes. Probably the most expensive egg-shaped piece of crystal is the Waterford BCS National Championship football trophy valued at $8,000, according to one Internet source.

One of the most beautiful eggs I located on the egg hunt was a filigree music box that opened up to reveal a praying cherub. (Top right of photo collage.) When wound the music box plays the “Ave Maria”…charming! Although not believed to be very old, it would still be a lovely gift to an egg or music box collector.

Among the eggs suitable for gifts were trinket boxes in the Limoges style, bud vases, and paperweights. Art glass eggs are among some of the most beautiful eggs as no two are ever alike, making each one truly unique. They’re often made with a flat bottom for use as a paperweight, catering to the niche market of paperweight collectors.

Egg collectibles are among some of the most reasonably priced collectibles. All pictured in the photo collage were valued at approximately $30, most of them less. Presenting a gift to the hostess that prepares the holiday meal is a time-honored tradition. What better gift to surprise her with than an egg as a memento of a wonderful Easter family reunion?

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