Antonija Volk Krebelj

Antonija Volk Krebelj (1908–2003) was a Slovenian farmer, a maker of Suhorje Easter eggs, folk artist, and preserver of folk art. She is best known for making and promoting Suhorje Easter eggs (suhorski pirhi). Her mother was the farmer and maker of Suhorje Easter eggs Marija Volk (1876–1956) from Suhorje, and her father was the farmer Franc Volk (died 1944). (Despite having the same surname, her parents are not known to have been related.) She had five sisters and three brothers.

Her mother made Suhorje Easter eggs every year, also known in Suhorje as pirihi. These eggs were usually hard-boiled hen's eggs dyed with onion skins, which coloured them in various shades of reddish-brown, and with the bark of brazilwood (which they called pražilka in Suhorje), which dyed the eggs red. After the egg had been dyed, her mother scratched designs into it with a small blade, such as flowers, hearts, and the symbols of faith, hope, and charity. In childhood she also lived for some time in Ostrožno Brdo.

Work After finishing school, she worked on the family farm and made Easter eggs independently during Lent. A special motif characteristic of both her mother and herself was a bouquet of hearts, later adopted by her descendants. While still young, she married a local boy and had several children with him. In 1942, two of her brothers were killed at the same time by the Germans as hostages.

After the Second World War, because of the new anti-religious authorities, the great majority of villagers stopped making Suhorje Easter eggs for Easter. Antonija decided to preserve the tradition and continued making them. In time she became known for this work, and people ordered and bought Easter eggs from her. In 1993 and 1995, she exhibited her Easter eggs at the exhibition Easter in the Pivka Region at the Postojna Inner Carniola Museum. She died in 2003. She was buried in the cemetery at Suhorje in the grave of her parents. Workshops on the making of Suhorje Easter eggs are regularly held in her birth house, where she lived for the most of her life.