Fragment
second half 15th century (made)
| Place of origin |
This fragment is part of a collection of fragments from English glass workshops
In contrast to traditional stained glass, which was coloured with metallic oxides when molten, this fragment was decorated using a technique introduced to England in the early part of the 14th century. This consisted of painting a compound of silver on the back of the glass. After firing in the kiln, the silver compound would turn yellow. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown-black pigment. Since the technique reduced the amount of leading required, it allowed greater freedom of composition.
This fragment shows the head of an elderly man. The yellow (silver) stain behind his head might be the remains of a halo, which would indicate a saintly status. Not enough of the original image survives for us to identify the man. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church.
The religious conflicts that affected the British Isles in the 16th and 17th centuries had a devastating effect upon the decorative arts and furnishings of the Christian church. Much of the medieval stained glass in churches and cathedrals was damaged and only survives in a fragmentary state.
In contrast to traditional stained glass, which was coloured with metallic oxides when molten, this fragment was decorated using a technique introduced to England in the early part of the 14th century. This consisted of painting a compound of silver on the back of the glass. After firing in the kiln, the silver compound would turn yellow. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown-black pigment. Since the technique reduced the amount of leading required, it allowed greater freedom of composition.
This fragment shows the head of an elderly man. The yellow (silver) stain behind his head might be the remains of a halo, which would indicate a saintly status. Not enough of the original image survives for us to identify the man. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church.
The religious conflicts that affected the British Isles in the 16th and 17th centuries had a devastating effect upon the decorative arts and furnishings of the Christian church. Much of the medieval stained glass in churches and cathedrals was damaged and only survives in a fragmentary state.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Stained glass: Clear glass with painted details in brown pigment and yellow (silver) stain |
| Brief description | Fragment of clear glass with painted details in brown and in yellow (silver) stain. Depicting the head of an elderly man with full beard. English, second half of 15th century |
| Physical description | Stained glass fragment depicting a the head of an elderly man with long hair and a full beard. Painted in black and yellow stain, English, 15th century |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mr. Grosvenor Thomas |
| Object history | This fragment has been placed in a panel with the following other fragments: C.328-1915, C.342-1915, C.393-1915, C.392-1915, C.391-1915, C.399-1915, C.66-1926, C.398-1915, C.64-19126, C.406-1915. C.399-1915 has been assigned the overall museum number for this panel. It was previously recorded as 19FR6. |
| Historical context | In spite of England's rich tradition of stained glass in the Middle Ages, a great deal was destroyed in the religious conflicts of the 16th and 17th centuries. As a result, much of the glass from this time survives only in a fragmentary state. In contrast to traditional stained glass, which was coloured with metallic oxides when molten, this fragment was decorated using a technique introduced to England in the early part of the 14th century. This consisted of painting a compound of silver on the back of the glass. After firing in the kiln, the silver compound turns yellow. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown-black pigment. Since the technique reduced the amount of leading required, it allowed greater freedom of composition. This fragment shows the head of an elderly man. The yellow (silver) stain behind his head might be the remains of a halo which would indicate a saintly status. Not enough of the original image survives for us to identify the man. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This fragment is part of a collection of fragments from English glass workshops In contrast to traditional stained glass, which was coloured with metallic oxides when molten, this fragment was decorated using a technique introduced to England in the early part of the 14th century. This consisted of painting a compound of silver on the back of the glass. After firing in the kiln, the silver compound would turn yellow. Many panels from the 14th and 15th centuries are decorated simply in yellow (silver) stain and highlighted with a brown-black pigment. Since the technique reduced the amount of leading required, it allowed greater freedom of composition. This fragment shows the head of an elderly man. The yellow (silver) stain behind his head might be the remains of a halo, which would indicate a saintly status. Not enough of the original image survives for us to identify the man. It is likely that this image formed part of a larger panel in a church. The religious conflicts that affected the British Isles in the 16th and 17th centuries had a devastating effect upon the decorative arts and furnishings of the Christian church. Much of the medieval stained glass in churches and cathedrals was damaged and only survives in a fragmentary state. |
| Associated objects |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.399-1915 |
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| Record created | November 5, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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