By LINDA KELLETT

C-S-E News Staff

FORT PLAIN — Vibrantly colored eggs, decorated with the intricate designs and elaborate patterns characteristic of traditional Ukrainian pysanky, were thoughtfully displayed in polished metal bowls and platters and arranged on hand-embroidered linens at the Fort Plain Free Library last Sunday.

On hand to talk about the history and symbology of the traditional art form was Schoharie County pysanky artist Kevin Burke, who also gave a brief demonstration of the design process for the roughly two dozen area residents in attendance.

Burke noted that the Ukrainian tradition of “egg writing” dates back at least 2,000 years and was passed from generation to generation of Ukrainian women.

He noted that at one time, the eggs weren’t emptied. “As a talisman it was an organic material. They were sun worshippers, and the yolk represented the power of the sun. If you emptied the egg, it wouldn’t have the charm it was intended to have,” Burke explained.

With the advent of Christianity, Burke said the egg-decorating tradition continued with the addition of new symbols and traditions. “It was done as a spiritual discipline,” he said.

In the earliest days, bees’ wax and natural dyes derived from minerals, plants and organic materials were used for the elaborate wax-batik process. Now, food coloring is often employed to create the eggs’ rich colors.

A special stylus called a kistka is used to draw intricate designs on the surface of the egg. As the design evolves, the egg is submerged in dyes ranging from the lightest to the darkest colors. Between baths, wax is applied with the stylus to preserve underlying colors. When the design is complete, heat is applied to melt and remove all of the wax.

On display were matted samplers featuring common symbols and their significance. For instance, the oak leaf “communicates the strength of the mighty oak tree, while the acorn signifies preparing for the future”; birds signified “fertility and fulfillment of wishes”; and diamonds represent knowledge.

Colors also had significance. It was commonly believed, for example, that dark-colored pysanky should be given to older people for they had lived full lives, he noted.

Between Burke’s presentations, area residents had an opportunity to ask questions and to get a good look at his eggs, each of which took about four hours to complete, he said.

Among those commenting on the process was Shirley Robertson, of Troy, who wryly observed that the contents of modern eggs have to be blown out because they have a tendency to explode as they age.

Fort Plain Library Director Whitney Hubbard said Burke’s pysanky exhibit will be on display at the 19 Willett Street library from now through April 14.

For more information, call the library at (518) 993-4646.