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STAINED GLASS: THE GLASS OF GOD

The colours, the sheer intensity of the beauty that is held within stained glass can literally take your breath away. Once, many years ago, it was a Roman Catholic nun who stated to me the above quote, 'That Stained Glass is the Glass of God'. I often wondered what Sister Hilary had meant by that, but as the months and years went by I finally understood what she did mean. My young mind couldn't take it in then, but I always remember, even from a very early age, being almost overwhelmed by the coloured light that would sometimes pour forth from the stained glass, in a church, cathedral or chapel that I happened to visit, with my school, or my mother. So much so in fact that I actually wanted to learn the process of stained glass, how it was made, and produced? How the artists and designers produced that almost spiritual-like feeling from something as simple as, what is basically coloured-glass?

I wanted to know the secrets of the process. Of course I never followed up this interest, other things happened to get in the way during my life. But, like all subjects I had shown an interest in, I read and studied about stained glass, the history of stained glass. Studied about how it was finally made into some of the most beautiful pieces of creation within our cathedrals, churches, and chapels.

The actual beginnings of stained glass, {its origins if you like}, are lost in the mists of time. The making of stained glass, the technique that went into such creations, probably began with the making of jewelery, mosaics and cloissonne. It is interesting to note that upon substantial church building, stained glass then, seemed to come onto the fore. As early as the 10th Century, one could find the depictions of Christ and other scenes from the Bible. in German and French churches. In England, however, decorative designs within the glass could be found.

It was during the first quarter of the 12th Century that a German Monk {who called himself Theophilius} wrote a detailed description on the method, and making, of stained glass. And, indeed, throughout the centuries these methods have hardly changed at all. The process of making glass by melting sand, lime and potash together, in clay pots, has always stood the test of time. How was the colour of the glass achieved? This was achieved by simply the addition of metallic oxides - iron, for green, copper, for red, and blue was cobalt. This was called, pot metal glass, now pot metal glass, {especially

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