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 -
Art Deco Furniture Antiques -> Periods and Styles -> Art Deco Art deco furniture antiques are highly sought after and are often very unique pieces. If you love this time period, or if you are simply looking for furniture that transcends the every day mundane design, art deco furniture is the perfect choice....... -
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...... - Depression Glass Antiques -> Decorative Arts -> Glass The history of Depression Glass is actually quite fascinating and it is a true testimony to its appeal that decades later it is still in high demand. These colorful glass items were made to be cheap, they had to be in order to sell......
-
Online Antiques Auctions According purely to definition, antiques are described as being any object that has a collectible value and that is more than 100 years in age. There are a number of different antiques auction websites that are designed to sell these types of antique items online. Some of these websites specialize...... - Antique Goblet Antiques -> Decorative Arts -> Stemware How do you tell an antique goblet from an antique cup or mug? Goblets are stemware, with the earliest goblets made from earthenware and then expanding to other stronger materials as the years passed. The use of goblets pre-dates the Roman Empire, though the......
Related Websites -
Screws and Screwdrivers 104 Reusing and Adapting Screws Renew a Screw - When you remove and reseat a Phillips head or slotted screw, the result is often a slot that has become damaged, especially when the screwdriver blade did not fit into the slot properly in the first place. If you do not have...... -
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...... - Las Vegas Writes: Restless City Las Vegas Writes is a collaborative serial novel project sponsored by the Vegas Valley Book Festival. Seven local writers have been selected to participate. They are H. Lee Barnes, John Irsfeld, Brian Rouff, Leah Bailly, John L. Smith, Constance Ford and Vu Tran. Each is writing one chapter. The chapters......
- Pop up window Did you get pop up window when you open a site? Pop up windows were once caused by some malicious programs for advertisement purposes, have been overused and abused to the point where they are extremely annoying for most computer users. Usually, you would get pop up windows you left a......
-
Weakend: Highway Driving Tips From The Weakonomist I mentioned in the last Weakend that I'd be doing some traveling over the next month. Since way back when I started college I've acquired thousands of highway miles. Going to and from home, visiting The Sheconomist (different schools freshmen year), road trips, weddings, job hunting, and vacations are......
