I’ve had this egg for ages, and can’t remember now where I got it.  It is from Ukraine, and I think it may have been a gift. It is large, made of white wax, and has beaded floral designs on it.  The “XB” are the Ukrainian letters signifying «Христос Воскрес», or “Christ is Risen.”

I had no knowledge of this sort of egg decoration until I ran across this plate in Venetia Newall’s “And Egg At Easter”:

Despite the graininess of the photo, it can easily be made out that these eggs have floral designs and the “XB,” much like my egg, but on a smaller scale.  In the accompanying text, Newall notes:

So, there’s that.  Prior to Independence, all Ukrainian churches were under the Russian Orthodox church.  I suppose it’s possible that Russian nuns passed the art along to their Palestinian counterparts.  After all, it was Rumanian nuns who made the biserky in Bukovyna, not ordinary people.  And it’s possible that among these “Russian” nuns were Ukrainian women, and that the process has been passed down to modern day Ukrainians.  Or not; it’s all just conjecture on my part.

Despite looking, this is all I have been able to find on the subject.  If anyone else has knowledge about these eggs, please let me know.