THE CELEBRATED EGG holds life. Cultures across centuries--Persians, Egyptians, Romans marking spring's return with beautification.

Ukrainian artisans write on raw eggs with beeswax and a kistka stylus. Layer by layer--wax, dye, wax, darker dye--geometric patterns emerge. Greeks dye theirs crimson, then crack them together on Easter Sunday to test luck. In Japan, hollowed shells wear Washi paper like silk, lacquered to a ceramic finish. Each culture transforming ordinary shells into a symbol of hope.