Glossary
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ABRADE
-
to scrape or grind away flashing to expose the base glass.
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ARMATURE
- a framework of metal bars used to hold panels in place. Armatures were
used until the late thirteenth century.
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BACK GLAZING
-
an alternative term for plating used when only the exterior face of the
old glass is fitted with modern glass.
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BACK-PAINTING
-
painting on the exterior face of the glass.
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BADGER
-
a broad brush (traditionally made of badger hair) used to spread glass
paint evenly.
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BOTTLE GLASS
- see CROWN or BOTTLE GLASS.
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BULL’S EYE
-
see CROWN or BOTTLE GLASS.
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CALMES or CAMES
-
(from Latin calamus, reed) cast strips of lead used to assembly a panel
of glass. Calmes are H-shaped in section and in the medieval period they
were cut and shaved to the desired width and length; in later times they
were milled. The central part is called the heart or core, and the part that
covers the glass is called the leaf or the flange. Individual calmes were
soldered to each other where strips met.
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CARTOON
- a full-size design for a window or panel.
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CORROSION
-
deterioration of the surface of the glass; this normally results in
pitting or crusting and may occur on either face.
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CROSS-HATCHING
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a dense net-like pattern used as in-fill.
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CROWN or BOTTLE GLASS
-
made by spinning molten glass attached to a pontil iron so that it is
spread by centrifugal force into a sheet which is thickest in the centre
where the iron was attached. The resulting thick knob of glass is known as a
BULL’S EYE.
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DIAPER
-
a repeated geometrical pattern used as a background or to decorate
garments etc.
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ENAMELS
-
colours consisting of a metallic oxide colouring agent and a flux of
molten glass, which can be fired on to the inner surface of white glass
enabling multi-coloured painterly effects to be achieved.
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FERRAMENTA
- ironwork, set in the masonry of the window, supporting the panels of
glass. This includes ARMATURE, T-BARS (LUG-BARS), SADDLE-BARS and STANCHIONS.
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FLASHING
-
application of a thin coat of coloured glass on a base glass. Flashed
ruby is most commonly found.
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GLASS PAINT
-
a mixture of finely ground glass, iron or copper oxide, and a flux,
applied to the glass and fired.
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GRISAILLE
- delicate geometric or leaf patterns of regular design painted on or
leaded into white glass (usually with little or no pot metal).
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GROZING
-
the method of shaping glass by means of a metal tool with a hooked end
which makes a characteristic ‘bitten’ edge.
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GROZING IRON
-
the metal tool used for GROZING.
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LUG-BAR
- see T-BAR.
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MATT WASH
- a thick or thin wash of paint that has not been modulated by smear
shading or stippleshading.
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MEDALLION
-
circular panel of several pieces of glass leaded together.
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MUFF
-
a cylinder of blown glass, cut along its length when hot and flattened
into plate glass.
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MURREY
-
a colour ranging from purple to pink and reddish brown.
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NEEDLEWORK
- fine relieving done with a needle or sharp instrument, scratching
out.
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OVAL
-
a unipartite panel of oval shape. Such a panel is sometimes described as
a ROUNDEL.
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PAINT
- see GLASS PAINT.
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PICK OUT
- see STICKWORK.
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PITTING
-
cavities in the surface of the glass caused by deterioration. See also
CORROSION.
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PLATING
-
protecting old glass by fitting modern glass to the exterior face, and
sometimes both faces.
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POT-METAL
- glass coloured throughout when molten with one or more metallic
oxides.
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QUARRY
-
(from French carré, square) a small pane of glass, usually
diamond-shaped. Imitation quarries are glass panels that have lead lines
painted on them to simulate the appearance of quarries.
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RECTANGLE
- a unipartite panel of rectangular shape. Such a panel is sometimes
described as a ROUNDEL.
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RELIEVING
-
the removal of paint from the surface of the glass prior to firing, to
allow light to come through; see also NEEDLEWORK and STICKWORK.
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REVERSED
- set inside out.
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RINCEAU
-
a foliage design usually used as a background.
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ROUNDEL
-
unipartite panel, generally round, bearing a self-contained
design.
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RUBY
- red glass, normally made by FLASHING red
glass onto a base glass.
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SADDLE-BAR or TIE-BAR
-
a bar fixed across the opening of a window, set on the inside or outside,
to which panels may be attached by lead ties. Saddle-bars were used either
alone or in conjunction with STANCHIONS.
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SANGUINE
-
an iron-based glass paint that turns pink to red-brown on firing.
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SCRATCH OUT
- see NEEDLEWORK.
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SILVER STAIN or YELLOW STAIN
-
a stain produced by applying a silver-compound solution to the surface of
the glass. When fired, the stain turns yellow, which can range in hue from
pale lemon to orange. It is nearly always found on the exterior face of the
glass.
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SMEAR SHADING
-
an application of thin paint on the glass.
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SORTING MARK
-
a small mark, relieved out of a wash, or painted or scratched onto the
glass, used by the glazier to sort the pieces of fired glass after removal
from the kiln.
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STAINED GLASS
- the term commonly but misleadingly used to denote a medium that comprises
pieces of glass painted with glass paint and set within lead cames in a
mosaic technique. Colour was inherent in the pieces of glass for most of the
middle ages. Glass paint was in shades of brown or black, and SILVER STAIN was developed and used
extensively for glass painting from the early fourteenth century. Sanguine
and a range of enamel colours that could be painted onto the glass were
developed in the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
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STANCHION
- a vertical support-bar set on the inside or outside (or both) of panels,
in order to support them. A stanchion is used in conjunction with SADDLE-BARS, which sometimes have eyes through
which a stanchion can pass. They were not always required.
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STICKWORK
-
relieving done with the end of a brush or blunt instrument, picking
out.
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STIPPLING or STIPPLE-SHADING
-
a method of shading by dabbing paint.
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T-BAR
- a horizontal bar set between panels that transfers the weight of the
panels to the frame enclosing them. The panels are sometimes held in place
by lugs (wedges), in which case the bars are known as lug-bars.
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TIE-BAR
- see SADDLE-BAR.
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TRACE-LINE
- a line of paint produced as part of the drawing of the design on the
glass.
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VIDIMUS
- (Latin ‘we have seen’) a term used to denote the approved design for a
window prior to the cartoon used by the glass painter.
-
YELLOW STAIN
- see SILVER STAIN.
The following images are reproduced by kind permission of the Stained Glass
Museum, Ely: badger; calmes; crown or bottle glass; flashing; glass paint. The
following images are reproduced by kind permission of the York Museums Trust
(Yorkshire Museum): back-painting; corrosion; grozing; quarry (left-hand image);
relieving; silver stain; stickwork; stippling. The following images are
reproduced by kind permission of Jasmine Allen: abrade; back glazing;
bull’s eye; cross hatching; diaper; enamels; medallion; muff; murrey; oval;
pitting; quarry (right-hand image); rinceau; roundel; saddle-bar or tie-bar;
sanguine; smear shading; sorting mark. The following image is reproduced by
kind permission of Leonie Seliger: grozing iron.