Handmade Wooden Egg

Ira Blount · 1992

With carefully chosen woods of various hues, artist Ira Blount (1918-2020) seamlessly layered and rounded them into this subtly striped egg. At its apex, thin blond wood trims a wider band of deep brown. Ornamental eggs have origins in Russian and Ukrainian Easter traditions, though they are typically painted or decorated. In allowing natural colors and grains to serve as the egg’s decoration, Blount demonstrates his appreciation for wood’s inherent beauty.