Stained Glass in Europe
Stained glass has a long and varied history, originating over one thousand years ago. The term "stained glass" immediately brings to mind splendid Church and Cathedral windows, ornate decoration and powerful illuminated colors. When the process of creating large scale stained glass first evolved sometime around the tenth century a new and powerful art form was born into the world. It is thought that stained glass techniques on a smaller scale had been discovered even earlier by Muslim 'alchemists' and by the Egyptians in the production of small jewels.In the early days of European stained glass development the process of creation would have likely been shrouded in mystery from the average person. By a process some might well have seen as 'alchemy', molten silica was produced before an assortment of metallic oxides where added including: Cobalt oxide to create blues, Copper oxides to produce greens and even Gold to produce vivid red colors. For this reason stained glass creation was highly expensive and secretive. Only the massive wealth and power of the Churches could fund such radical research and development during the medieval period when the majority of people lived in very humble surroundings.
With the development of larger scale panel production and the introduction of lead 'came' to hold the individual piece of glass together, a whole new possibility arouse to let light flood into churches around Europe. Windows increased in size and complexity as craftsmen and architects working for the church combined techniques to create great and magnificent church windows. Symmetrical 'Rose' windows with their mandala like hypnotism would have certainly have confirmed in the mind of the average uneducated church goer that this was indeed the house of God!.
In modern times churches still use the techniques of Stained Glass work all around the world. Stained Glass has developed into other secular sections of culture including sculpture, glass blowing and mosaic.
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