This fragment of painted glass displays a painting of a parrot holding two cherries in its beak. Many treatises were being published in the 17th century in the Netherlands as interest in the natural world and its classification increased. This interest was stimulated by increased long-distance trade and exploration. Scientists often travelled with merchants and explorers and recorded and sometimes brought back species of hitherto unknown animal and plant life. Artists in all media, including stained glass, would copy images from these treatises.

In the middle of the sixteenth century, new techniques for producing decorated glass were introduced. Glass paints known as 'enamels' were used to paint directly onto the glass; similar to painting onto a canvas. The colours were produced by adding metallic oxides to a glass frit mixture and the resulting colour range included delicate greens, yellows and reds as you see here.