Religious Egg Art At Knights

Of Columbus Museum

NEW HAVEN — Assembled over a period of 40 years, the Robert J. and Yvonne S. Klancko collection of religious eggs is being displayed for the first time at the Knights of Columbus Museum, One State Street, from March 22 through October 9.

Since the beginning of recorded history, the egg has epitomized life. With the advent of Christianity, it also came to symbolize faith and hope. Christians recognize the egg as a symbol of the Resurrection. During the Easter season, the decorating, blessing and giving of beautifully hand painted eggs has become a highly regarded tradition among peoples of many lands.

With more than 900 decorated eggs, the  Klancko collection was meticulously culled down for this exhibit to 467 relevant, unique and artistic pieces. The selected eggs vary in size from 18 inches to less than one inch in height. They are made of papier mache, wood, porcelain, enameled metal, and egg shell.

While some of the eggs were created by immigrant artists living in adopted lands, many were created in the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, Greece and Romania. Some are antiques from pre-revolutionary Russia, while others are contemporary creations.

The exhibition consists of two major egg art genres: classic and folk. Classics are those created by professional artisans. Generally, these contain icons that portray images of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Mother (the Theotokos), various saints and religious scenes.

Folk eggs are painted by the faithful during the Lenten preparation for Easter. They are usually created with specific patterns, symbols and colors that, when employed together, represent expressions of Christianity such as the Resurrection, the Holy Trinity, and eternal life.

Several icons and triptychs are also included, comparing personalized egg art with the sacred images created for liturgical and devotional use.

The Knights of Columbus Museum, One State Street, is a half-mile from Exit 47 off I-95. For more information and directions, call 203-865-0400 or visit KofC.org.