Kreševo: The tradition of shoeing eggs By: Irena Mrnjavac In times past, Kreševo, a town in the Central Bosnia Zupanija, has been known for its skilled blacksmiths who have in time turned this craft into an art. Once numerous mines were located here where miners dug for mercury and iron. Today this sweet place nurtures the different traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. One of these traditions for which this area is still known for is “shoeing” eggs. This tradition is several hundred years old and lives in Kreševo, the only town in Bosnia and outside of it, where this tradition is still nurtured. The egg has always been a symbol of new life, and the horseshoe a symbol of happiness. In almost every yard in Kreševo is a tree on which are hung “shoed” eggs of different colors. A horseshoe from lead pipes A team from Anadolija press agency visited a small "Blacksmith" Stjepan Biletić in Kreševo. He is one of the few who are still engaged in this trade. This retired enlightener hammers away in his small workshop where, as he says, his grandson helps. Today in Kreševo only six people shoe eggs. They all know each other and shoe eggs in a similar fashion, although each of them has a specific way working, from removing the contents and drilling, to feeding and tightening nails. Stjepan began his work on shoeing eggs in the 1980s. "It all started out of curiosity. My younger colleague Franjo  shoed eggs. Otherwise I am interested in everything related to the trade, regardless of the fact that I am not in that field," says Stjepan. As he says, he asked a colleague to show him how to do it, and which tools were needed. He showed Stjepan and he started with this trade. "The first horseshoe was fashioned from lead pipes, it is very hard work because we have to draw, measure and to bend it, and to drill holes, then I did not have anywhere near the tools that I have today," said Stjepan. Coats of arms on eggs He the asked another friend to make his first mold which would will help in making horseshoes. This made Stjepan’s work easier. Over time, he found other ways to simplify work for himself. "Afterwards, I shoed only for the purpose of giving shoed egg to my friends. Somehow to me this is the most beautiful gift, long lasting" says Stjepan. When he perfected his craft, he realized he could sell shoed eggs. He was then able to improve his financial situation despite the fact that he was retired. Eggs are shoed with horseshoes and other decorations are added like coats of arms of towns, clubs and political parties... "In general, the horseshoe is on one side of the egg. In time, I began to add some motives, on the other side. These are the motives featuring football clubs, coats of arms of towns and political parties.." says Stjepan. The process of shoeing an egg, among other things, depends on the hardness of the shell, but it usually takes about an hour. Stjepan points out that eggs often crack during shoeing. As in many places in Bosnia and Hezegovina and Kreševo there is a legend in connection with shoeing eggs. "I think that the legend might be true since we know that blacksmiths from Kreševo were extremely good. They traded with the people of Dubrovnik," said Stjepan. Without a shoed egg, no marriage The legend says that no blacksmith in Kreševo could marry if he did not know to shoe an egg. After the apprentice shoed an egg, he would put it in the window pane, and that if the girls, who were ready to marry, passed by the house and saw the egg in the window pane, that it would be a sign that he "mastered his trade" and was is capable of family life. Stjepan says that these days he shoes eggs with the song because early on it was much harder to do. Even though the situation in Kreševo today is that only a few blacksmiths remain who are intensively performing blacksmith's work. Stjepan states that a few of them, who shoe eggs, are working to pass this craft to the younger generations. "I have been trying something with my grandson who is in the second grade. Few are interested in it. It helps me, and I let him do something. I am confident that he could continue this craft," said Stjepan. As he says this is a nice craft although it requires a lot of patience, a man must be poised, and hands must be peaceful. He laughs and says that he will continue to shoe as long as his hands help.  Because Easter is a holiday of gift giving, Stjepan says he will give shoed eggs to family members and relatives, and people who live abroad buy them to show that they celebrate Bosnia and Herzegovina and take them as gifts to the countries in which they now live. Source: http://artinfo.ba/index.php/fun/zanimljivosti/2906-kresevo-tradicija-potkivanja-jaja Translated by Marko Puljić

Kreševo: Tradicija potkivanja jaja Kreševo, gradić u Županiji Središnja Bosna, od davnina je poznat po vještim kovačima koji su vremenom od ovog zanata napravili umjetnost. Tu su nekada bili smješteni brojni rudnici u kojima su rudari iskopavali živu i željezo. I danas ovaj pitomi kraj gaji različite tradicije koje su se prenosile sa koljena na koljeno. Jedna od tradicija, po čemu je danas i poznat ovaj kraj, je potkivanje jaja. Tradicija stara nekoliko stotina godina i danas živi u Kreševu, jedinom gradu u BiH i šire gdje se ova tradicija još uvijek njeguje. Jaje je uvijek bilo simbol novog života, a potkovica simbol sreće. U gotovo svakom dvorištu u Kreševu nalazi se stablo na kojem se nalaze obješena potkovana jaja različitih boja. Potkovica od olovne cijevi Ekipa Anadolije posjetila je malu "kovačnicu" Stjepana Biletića u Kreševu. Jedan je od rijetkih koji se još uvijek bave ovim zanatom. Penzionisani prosvjetni radnik kucka u svojoj maloj radionici gdje mu, kako kaže, često pomaže i unuk. U Kreševu jaja danas potkiva šest mještana. Svi se međusobno poznaju i slično potkivaju jaja, iako svako od njih ima specifičan način rada, od vađenja sadržaja, bušenja, uvlačenja i zatezanja eksera..Stjepan je svoj rad na potkivanju jaja počeo '80-tih godina prošlog stoljeća. "Sve je krenulo iz znatiželje. Moj mlađi kolega Franjo se bavio potkivanjem jaja. Inače me zanima sve što je vezano za zanat, neovisno o tome što nisam u toj branši", priča Stjepan.Kako kaže, zamolio je kolegu da mu pokaže kako se to radi, koji mu je osnovni alat potreban. Pokazao mu je i počeo je sa ovim zanatom. "Prva potkovica je bila krojena od olovne cijevi, jako težak posao jer se mora nacrtati, uraditi razmjer i da se savije, da se rupe izbuše, a tada nisam imao ni blizu alat koji imam danas", istakao je Stjepan. Grbovi na jajima Tada je zamolio još jednog prijatelja da mu napravi prvi kalup koji će mu pomoći u izljevanju potkovice. Na taj način je Stjepanu olakšan rad. Vremenom je nalazio i druge načine kako bi sebi olakšao rad. "Poslije sam potkivao samo u cilju darivanja potkovanog jajeta prijateljima. To mi je nekako najljepši poklon, dugotrajan", kaže Stjepan.Međutim, kada je usavršio zanat shvatio je da bi mogao i prodavati potkovana jaja. Na taj način je poboljšao financijsku situaciju s obzirom da je trenutno u mirovini. Jaja se potkivaju potkovicama, a dodaju se i drugi ukrasi poput grbova gradova, zemalja, klubova, stranaka... "Osnov je potkovica s jedne strane. Vremenom sam počeo da dodajem neke motive, sa druge strane. To su motivi nogometnih klubova, grbova...", ispričao je Stjepan. Proces potkivanja jajeta, između ostalog, zavisi o tvrdoći ljuske, ali uglavnom traje oko sat vremena. Stjepan ističe da se često događa da jaja i pucaju tijekom potkivanja.Kao i u mnogim mjestima u BiH tako i u Kreševu postoji legenda u vezi sa potkivanjem jaja. "Mislim da bi legenda mogla biti istinita pošto znamo da su Kreševljaci bili izuzetno dobri kovači. Oni su trgovali sa Dubrovčanima", ispričao je Stjepan. Bez potkovanog jajeta nema ženidbe Legenda kaže da se nijedan kovač u Kreševu nije mogao oženiti ako nije znao potkovati jaje. Nakon što bi šegrt potkovao jaje stavio bi ga u okno prozora, a djevojke, koje su bile za udaju, kada bi prolazile pored kuće vidjele bi potkovano jaje u oknu i to bi bio znak da je taj "ispekao zanat" i da je sposoban za obiteljski život. Stjepan priča da se današnje potkivanje jaja radi sa pjesmom jer je ranije to bilo mnogo teže raditi. Iako je takva situacija u Kreševu je danas ostalo samo nekoliko kovača koji intenzivno rade kovački posao. Stjepan poručuje da se njih nekoliko, koji potkivaju jaja, trude da ovaj zanat prenesu na mlađe generacije. "Ja nešto pokušavam sa unukom koji je drugi razred. Malo se interesira oko toga. Pomaže mi, a ja mu dopustim da nešto i radi. Uzdam se da bi on mogao nastaviti ovaj zanat", poručio je Stjepan.Kako kaže, lijep je ovo zanat iako treba mnogo strpljenja, čovjek mora biti staložen, a ruke moraju biti mirne. Smije se i kaže da će se on potkivanjem baviti sve dok mu ruke budu pomagale. S obzirom da je Uskrs praznik darivanja Stjepan kaže da će potkovana jaja pokloniti članovima porodice i rodbine, a kupuju ih i oni koji iz inozemstva dolaze da praznuju u BiH i nose ih kao poklone u zemlje u kojima trenutno žive. Izvor: http://artinfo.ba/index.php/fun/zanimljivosti/2906-kresevo-tradicija-potkivanja-jaja