The fragments of glass illustrated on this panel were for the most part made in England in the 15th century. They once formed part of the private collection of English medieval glass of Grosvenor Thomas who gave the fragments to the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1915. Subsequently, the museum framed them up in this panel for study purposes.

England had a rich tradition of stained glass in the Middle Ages but due to the political and religious upheavals of the 16th and 17th centuries, much survives only in a fragmentary state as you see here.

The fragment here depicts an jewelled bishop's mitre. Although it is only part of what was a now unknown larger image, it is possible that it orginally formed part of a 'Triumph of Death Over the Clergy' moralising window. Much of medieval art, especially after the devastation wrought by the succession of plagues in the second half of the 14th century, has a moralising message. The 'Triumph of Death' images were intended to remind the viewer of the folly of placing too much emphasis on the transitory things of human life. This mitre would have been accompanied by images of a papal tiara, a cardinal's hat and emblems of clericaloffices such as staffs, crosses and croziers. All of these would be depicted falling down underneath an image of Death in the form of a skeleton or a skull.

Other interesting fragments on this panel include a pig with a bell collar (Museum no. C.384-1915) and a jousting helmet (Museum no. C.348-1915).

The majority of the fragments on this panel are painted on the reverse with silver stain which, when fired in the kiln, turns a yellow to orange colour. This technique of decorating window glass first developed around 1300. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown/black pigment.