Bird Island Egg Art

Bird Island Egg Art

　　   Egg art is a decorative craftwork with artistic value. In Qinghai, these eggs are often made using discarded eggshells from the “abandoned eggs” of Bird Island in Qinghai Lake, carefully painted with various fine brushwork or colorful designs.    

　　   Every summer, dozens of species of migratory birds—including bar-headed geese, brown-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, cormorants, and others—lay eggs, hatch, and reproduce on the island, numbering in the tens of thousands. Numerous chicks hatch from their shells, but many eggs that fail to hatch are removed from the nests and become "abandoned eggs." These otherwise useless "abandoned eggs" serve as excellent raw materials for making decorative eggs. Artists paint a variety of different patterns on the empty shells, such as "Hunting on the Kunlun," "Grazing on the Qilian Mountains," "Source of the Yellow River," or figures like Princess Wencheng, King Gesar, and the Buddha statues of Kumbum Monastery, as well as animals like red deer, snow cocks, and antelopes. These images reflect aspects of Qinghai’s plateau culture and local customs; some showcase ethnic characteristics; others depict life in pastoral areas. In short, they carry a strong sense of Qinghai’s regional and ethnic identity. These decorated eggs are sold not only domestically but also exported to countries such as the UK, USA, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands, where they are very popular.    

　　   Qinghai’s folk embroidery carries a rich local and ethnic character, used by people to decorate and beautify their lives, as well as to express ideals and wishes. Embroidery is commonly applied to clothing and daily items made of cotton, wool, or synthetic fabrics. Clothing items include braid tubes, belts, socks, shoe linings, collar trims, and headbands; household items include pillow covers, tobacco pouches, wallets, needle cases, sachets, pen holders, and knife sheaths. Most of these embroidered items are given as gifts or tokens of affection to family, friends, and loved ones.    

　　   Qinghai’s folk embroidery includes techniques such as appliqué embroidery, flat embroidery, coiled embroidery, pulled thread embroidery, chain stitch embroidery, and netting. The patterns feature rope motifs, thundercloud patterns, water waves, scrolling vines, round floral designs, diamond and square geometric patterns, as well as various border designs. The depicted images include people, sun and moon, flowers and grass, insects and fish, as well as birds and beasts.    Folk embroidery holds an important place in the lives of women from various ethnic groups. On kang beds, in courtyards, and by the edges of fields, groups of women gather in their spare time after labor, sitting together to embroider and learn from one another, continuously enriching and developing the art of embroidery. (Haixi)