Slavic Easter Egg Decorating Workshop At Ventfort Hall
Just in time for Easter, Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum will present a Slavic Easter egg decorating demonstration and instructional workshop on Saturday, March 15 from 10 am to 12 noon. This Eastern European tradition of creating intricate and beautifully-decorated eggs has been passed down for generations. Lenox resident Tjasa Sprague, who will lead the workshop, learned the technique from her late mother, Czechoslovakian Maria Krofta.The technique begins with unwashed eggs, providing a residue free shell surface. A local poultry farm has been providing eggs to the Sprague family for many years, prior to their yearly decorating. The Slavic egg is a wax resistant technique which employs aniline dye later in the process. The decorating begins with drawing on the egg with wax, followed by immersion in the dye, with repeated wax drawing and dying as desired. The eggs are uncooked and are “blown” out after the decorating has been completed. These beautiful eggs may be displayed, when stored carefully, for an indefinite number of years.
The fee for the egg workshop is $15 per person and $12 for members. Children should at least 12 years of age. Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum and the exhibit “Les Petites Dames de Mode” will also be open for guided tours (additional admission rates apply). For more information or reservations for the workshop, contact Ventfort Hall at 413-637-3206 or www.GildedAge.org Ventfort Hall is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.
An Official Project of Save America’s Treasure’s, Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum offers tours of the historic mansion, as well as lectures, concerts, teas, theater and other programs. This elegant “Berkshire Cottage,” listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is open to the public year-round and is available for private rental. Built in 1893 for George and Sarah Morgan (sister of the financier J.P. Morgan), Ventfort Hall has undergone substantial restoration, which is ongoing.
