Antiques -> Architectural and Garden -> Stained Glass Windows-> Pre-1900
Stained glass windows are more than just functional windows, they are works of art that can express exalted meanings or simply beautify a room. When you are shopping for antique stained glass, it’s important to understand the amount of time that went into each piece. Remember, the little imperfections that are commonly present on most stained glass windows are part of their charm and in many cases, they may actually increase the value.
The first step made by the designer is to come up with the actual design for the stained glass window. This was typically done on paper and the artist may try several different designs until they find one that works right. The colors that will be used for the window are usually determined at this phase as well. Most concept drawings for stained glass windows are nearly as beautiful as the windows themselves.
Once the artist had the design and concept ready for their stained glass window, they would need to select the glass. This process was the most time consuming and some artists would spend months trying to find just the right piece. Once the glass had been found, the next step was to start cutting it into the correct sized pieces that would later be assembled together into the window.
The mosaic of glass pieces was very important for a stained glass window. They had to be fit precisely so that they could later be soldered together. Each piece would be individually hand painted and the designer would then lay each piece out in the final design.
Once this was completed, the stained glass window could then be soldered together. Most often lead was used as a part of this process and to this day, most stained glass windows do contain lead. The soldering was an intricate process and more times than not, there would be small imperfections. This was often considered to be an important part of the process and although perfection was usually sought, it would be centuries before this could be attained.
Even though today’s stained glass windows that are assembled by machines may be perfect, they lack that special charm that antique windows have. When you are shopping for stained glass windows that are antiques, think for a minute about the hard work that went into creating that work of art. Whether it is a simple floral design or an intricate religious piece, stained glass windows are definitely keepsakes whether you hang them on the wall or actually install them into a window.
The next time you come across a stained glass window, think about purchasing it to preserve this form of artwork. They can beautify any home, and there is nothing quite like these unique works of art. They make wonderful conversation pieces and can be used just about anywhere in the home.
It is a lot of fun to collect many different stained glass windows and to see if you can end up finding the same designer’s work again.
Originally posted 2008-09-01 05:00:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Curio Cabinet Dealers -> Furniture -> Cabinets-Armoires-Cupboards A curio cabinet is a piece of furniture that encompasses so many different varieties that it's hard to sum up in a short space. The thing each one has in common is that it allows for “curios” to be displayed. Knick-knacks, trinkets, collectibles and other...... -
Buying Antiquities on Ebay Antiquities and antiques are separate entities all together. Antiquities are ancient objects that are most commonly at least 800 years of age or older. There are a number of truly nice antiquities on eBay if you know where to look. For every authentic piece that you can find when it...... -
Antique Doors Antiques -> Architectural and Garden -> Doors Antique doors have much to offer the private collector and many of these, depending on the materials used, and the designer may actually be worth quite a lot of money. Whether you are looking for a collectible that you can put to good...... -
Antique Mirrors Antiques -> Decorative Arts -> Mirrors Antique mirrors are a highly collectible item, with many of the frames boasting decorative carving and detail much like elaborate, wooden picture frames of old. A mirror itself is little more than glass covering a reflective surface and not very impressive—many of us carry...... -
Silk Screen Dealers -> Antiques -> Asian For anyone who enjoys Asian art, an antique silk screen can make a gorgeous addition to your home. Paintings and even silkscreened prints with an Asian theme can give a room a distinct atmosphere, but there’s nothing quite like a paneled screen that can be......
Related Websites -
Malware Doctor Removal A new category of malware programs has recently evolved, called "scareware". Basically a "scareware" is a malicious rogue software program designed to trick victims into purchasing and downloading useless and potentially dangerous software. A scareware that infects a computer will start generating pop-up windows that look like legitimate Windows system...... -
Figuring return on investment Usually when I buy things, I buy them because they are things that I would buy anyway, but sometimes it's nice to consider the possible return on your investment before making a purchase. (Especially if you're trying to decide which type of household project to do first.) For example, we...... -
Make Extra Money By Doing Graphic Design Work On The Side One thing that I am a huge proponent of is trying not to rely too much on one stream of income for your family. Why not instead create multiple streams of income, whereby if one of them dries up, you'll still have several others that you can depend on? PT...... -
Microsoft reveals Six Windows 7 Editions Microsoft has announced that the upcoming Windows 7 will boast of six editions - Starter, Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise. But unlike Windows Vista, upgrading to a higher, more featured version will not result in loss of existing features from the lower version. Also Windows 7 is designed...... -
Completing tblContacts With tblContacts in Design view, you’re now ready to create or modify all the fields of tblContacts. Shows the completed field definitions for tblContacts. If you’re following the examples, you should be able to complete the table design. Enter the field names and data types exactly as shown. You may......