Stained Glass Windows
YAC Attack 139! Stained Glass Windows
Stained glass windows can be found in churches, cathedrals and halls, the earliest examples in the UK come from the 7th century AD although the craft may have been introduced earlier by the Romans.
- How are stained glass windows made
- Why is it important to conserve stained glass?
The earliest examples of stained glass windows in the UK are from the 7th century AD, although the craft may have been introduced much earlier by the Romans.
By the 13th century, stained glass design was practiced on a massive scale and it was considered a very important addition for many hundreds of abbeys and cathedrals.
Stained glass window designs would feature important religious figures and could tell stories to the members of the congregation. Many of them could not read and so the designs would have really brought the stories to life.
Non religious designs were also used, for example shields and emblems, animals and scenes of daily life.
Early in the 12th century, a German monk called Theophilus, wrote a description of the techniques of making stained glass. Since then methods have been refined but changed very little.
The first step was to decide on a design. The donor (the person paying for the window) and the glazier (the craftsman) would have agreed upon a subject and position in the building. Once agreed, a full scale cartoon (a drawing the size of the final work) was drawn on a tabletop covered in whitewash.
The designer would show the shape and colour of the individual pieces of glass to be used, and the position of the lead strips (cames) that would eventually hold all the pieces of glass together.
Conserving stained glass
Glass is a fragile material and lead is a soft metal. These facts plus the effects of weather, vandalism, war damage, pollution and the odd cricket ball, put stained glass at risk and so it needs to be looked after.
Conservators are working hard to look after our stained glass. Perhaps the most amazing conservation project is the one currently happening at York Minster.
ACTIVITY: Make your own Stained Glass Window, using card and coloured paper.
