Ostrich females lay their fertilized eggs in a single communal nest, a simple pit, 12–24 inches deep and 9.8 feet wide, scraped in the ground by the male. Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs.

On average they are 5.9 in. long, 5.1 in. wide, and weigh about 3.1 lbs., over 20 times the weight of a chicken egg. They are glossy cream-colored, with thick shells marked by small pits. Their thickness of approximately 1/8 in. allows for dimensional carving.
The Egg Carving Process
Egg carving starts with the artist drawing his rough design on the surface of the selected egg Then using a high speed dental drill the drawing is etched into the surface of the egg. This eliminates the possibility of the design being smudged or wiped off during the rest of the carving process Deep cuts are made in the egg for areas which will later be cut out and removed. This becomes the ‘negative space’ in the design. These deep cuts are will be made all over the entire egg so each area to be removed will be well defined. The negative space is removed and final detail carving is started on the remaining design elements of the egg. This is followed by hours of detailed relief carving on each and every design element. On the reverse side of this carving there is a large flower element ready for final cuts, and polishing.Here the large flower on the reverse side of the egg has had the twelve outside peddles removed as negative space.The hours of design, layout, drawing, carving, sanding, polishing and the application of a sealer finish results in a unique piece of Fine Art. A piece of art which is ‘one of a kind’, done by hand, never to be exactly duplicated. A sealer is applied which can be a mat, semi-gloss or gloss finish according to the artists or clients wishes. This is a side view of this finished carving.
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