The Šavrinka as a person and as a symbol
In the period from the late 19th century until the Second World War the hilly area of Koper's hinterland saw the development of a special trade in eggs, carried out predominantly by women called Šavrinke (sing. Šavrinka; after the area's name Šavrinija.) They purchased eggs in central Istria to sell them in Trieste. Nowadays there are no more eggwomen, but the Šavrinka lives on in a certain symbolic way. The article is based on the Šavrinka as a medium in the sense of place and time. Presented are some roles and contents of the Šavrinka who through different phases was transformed from a real historical person into a symbol, that is into the place she occupies in present-day Istria and beyond.