Panel of clear, coloured and flashed glass with yellow (silver) stain and painted details. Depicting the Arms of Balthasar II von Hohenlandenberg. Designed by Lucas Zeiner. Swiss (Zurich), c.1500

Stained glass panel of the arms of Balthasar II von Hohenlandenberg, a shield surmounted by helmets with the crests of the united houses of Landenberg and Greifensee and scrolled mantling with the colours of the two families. From the Landenberg crest is suspended the Order of the Fish and Falcon, and a woman stands behind the shield holding this order and two arms with pointing hands.

Given by J. Pierpont Morgan, Jr

This panel was given to the museum in 1919 by JP Morgan in memory of his father and in acknowledgement of Anglo-American cooperation in the war.

Balthasar II von Hohenlandenberg was the brother of Hugo, Bishop of Constance (see also the shield, inv. no. C.39-1919). From the Landenberg crest is suspended the Order of the Fish and Falcon, to which Balthasar had been admitted in 1492. The inscription above confirms his status: 'her balthser vn landenberg ritter' ('Balthasar von Landenberg, knight'). The arms of Hohenlandenberg are: Quarterly, 1 and 4, Gules, 3 annulets argent (for Art-Landenberg) and 2 and 3, Or and Sable (For Landenberg-Greifensee).

The chivalric order of the Fish and Falcon Society functioned to organise tournaments for sport and entertainment. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has recently acquired a panel which bears an identical coat of arms, including the Fish and Falcon, and an inscription that refers to Kaspar von Hohenlandenberg. The Metropolitan panel was apparently originally incorporated into the windows of the assembly hall of a chapter of the Society. The size of the Metropolitan panel (38 x 55.9 cm) is not the same as this one but it would be likely that the V&A panel was too intended for a window in the Society.

Lukas Zeiner was a glass painter and glazier. He is recorded in the town records of Zurich between 1479 and 1512. At this time, the records are quite specifc and often record glass painters like Zeiner by name rather than as simply ‘glass painter’. In the 15th and 16th centuries it became more common to commission secular, heraldic, glass. It was especially common in mainland Europe, where the rules as to who could claim a coat of arms were more relaxed than in England. Zeiner was a leading glass artist in the field of heraldic painting. His style featured a coat of arms with supporters within an elaborate canopy. It set the stage for similar work for the next 100 years.

As in a number of other panels from the workshop of Lukas Zeiner, there are small figures in the spandrels of the archway. In this case men-at-arms hold pikes and halberds (spear- and axe-headed weapons). The richly attired lady seen here was a popular type of secular heraldic supporter in Swiss panels of about 1500. This panel must have been made at the same time as that of Hugo von Hohenlandenberg and probably comes from the same building. They both share an assured, crisp drawing style and extraordinarily delicate detail. Note especially the delicately rendered headdress and jewellery of the female figure. Such qualities are found only in the finest works made for a wealthy elite.

Balthasar II von Hohenlandenberg was the brother of Hugo, Bishop of Constance (see also the shield, inv. no. C.39-1919). From the Landenberg crest is suspended the Order of the Fish and Falcon, to which Balthasar had been admitted in 1492. The inscription above confirms his status: 'her balthser vn landenberg ritter' ('Balthasar von Landenberg, knight').

Lukas Zeiner was a glass painter and glazier. He is recorded in the town records of Zurich between 1479 and 1512. At this time, the records are quite specifc and often record glass painters like Zeiner by name rather than as simply ‘glass painter’. In the 15th and 16th centuries it became more common to commission secular, heraldic, glass. It was especially common in mainland Europe, where the rules as to who could claim a coat of arms were more relaxed than in England. Zeiner was a leading glass artist in the field of heraldic painting. His style featured a coat of arms with supporters within an elaborate canopy. It set the stage for similar work for the next 100 years.

As in a number of other panels from the workshop of Lukas Zeiner, there are small figures in the spandrels of the archway. In this case men-at-arms hold pikes and halberds (spear- and axe-headed weapons). The richly attired lady seen here was a popular type of secular heraldic supporter in Swiss panels of about 1500. This panel must have been made at the same time as that of Hugo von Hohenlandenberg and probably comes from the same building. They both share an assured, crisp drawing style and extraordinarily delicate detail. Note especially the delicately rendered headdress and jewellery of the female figure. Such qualities are found only in the finest works made for a wealthy elite.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has recently acquired a further panel. This bears an identical coat of arms, including the Fish and Falcon, and an inscription that refers to Kaspar von Hohenlandenberg.

These are the arms of Balthasar II von Hohenlandenberg. Suspended from the Landenberg crest is the Order of the Fish and Falcon, to which Balthasar had been admitted in 1492. The inscription above confirms his status: 'her balthser vn landenberg ritter' ('Balthasar von Landenberg, knight').

He was the brother of Hugo, Bishop of Constance. This panel must have been made at the same time as that of Hugo (Museum no. C.39-1919) and probably comes from the same building. They both share an assured, crisp drawing style and extraordinarily delicate detail, for example the headdress and jewellery of the female figure here. Such qualities are found only in the finest works made for a wealthy elite.

Lukas Zeiner is noted as a glass painter and glazier in the town records of Zurich between 1479 and 1512. He was a leading glass artist in the field of heraldic painting. His style featured a coat of arms with supporters within an elaborate canopy and set the stage for similar work for the next 100 years. The richly attired lady seen here was a popular type of secular heraldic supporter in Swiss panels of about 1500.

C.42-1919