Decorative element colors past and present

Although the history of stained glass is not well documented, there is evidence that pieces of colored glass were inserted into openings in wood panels for decorative purposes in the sixth century in Germany. Not until the ninth century is there evidence that lead joints were used to secure glass inside wood frames. The best examples of surviving stained glass windows are found in German cathedrals constructed in the ninth and 12th centuries.

The windows in some houses of worship told biblical stories or depicted notable religious characters; other windows were made with patterns of glass for privacy or for decorative flourishes. The aged finish of old stained glass was achieved with caulking, made of linseed oil and dust, that sealed the lead joints.

The first stained glass colors were shades of blue and red, achieved by adding simple formulas of chemicals during the glass blowing process. By the 11th century there is recorded history of stained glass works being considered an art form. In the 14th century, nuanced and secondary colors were added to the palette, which gave stained glass window artisans the diversity to better portray scenery and facial expressions.

Most stained glass art remained predominantly in churches, particularly those close to the Mediterranean coast, where the primary ingredient for glass — sand — was most abundant, until Philip Augustus, king of France in the latter part of the 12th century, decided to make Paris the first important capital and major city in Europe.

Notre Dame Cathedral was built, a university was established and a wall surrounded the first important inland town north of the alps. Another cathedral was built at Chartres, and, like Notre Dame, reflected the influence of gothic architecture and design.

Unfortunately, during the 13th century, the art of stained glass was not the same rigorous discipline it had been for at least six centuries. Other methods for coloring glass were widely accepted. In fact, the term, “stained glass,” actually means an artificial color has been applied only to the surface of a panel of glass. The integrity of glass blowing to achieve unusual colors was diluted by less talented artists who painted or etched the glass.

RESURGENCE OF INTEREST

Stained or colored glass had lost favor with wealthy patrons who had paid for windows, dedicated to family, in cathedrals and in other public buildings. During the Gothic Revival period in the mid-19th century, leaded glass windows were again popular in Europe — not only in churches, but in private residences.

In America, segmented windows and doors, sidelights and arched windows were embellished with tracery of lead separating intricate patterns in clear glass. Diamond paned glazing was reintroduced, often with a border of colored glass; elaborate designs and reproductions of paintings were depicted in stained glass panels. Walls of stained glass windows, many memorializing ancient history, adorned some of the most elegant dining rooms and stair landings in American houses.

The design trend of using stained glass as an architectural accessory lasted well into the first part of the 20th century. Many of the houses in the historic districts in Macon are repositories of delicately designed windows, which miraculously have survived the ravages of time and of the elements. The lead joints that hold the glass images together are soft and vulnerable to the pressure of the weight of the glass they support.

CREATING NEW IMAGES IN STAINED GLASS ...

In Forsyth, Celia and Jim Henigman have a glass studio where they undertake enormous restoration projects to save old stained glass windows and where they can interpret new ideas for clients who want to incorporate the texture of glass into their interior design — but with a more contemporary vibe.

The evolution of a new design from the sketch pad to the finished product is a prodigious project, carried out with painstaking care.

When a house in north Macon was being renovated, the owners wanted a glass door between the kitchen and the dining room and another between the den and the entrance hall. However, they wanted to obscure the view to those spaces while introducing more light to augment the available natural light. The solution was a pair of doors that Celia designed based on suggestions from the clients to keep the pattern graceful but colorful and complementary to the surrounding design.

The glass pattern is the same in each door — a tree slightly bending over stones and water — with the doors installed so the patterns face each other, bookending the space between them and allowing light to brighten the formerly dark spaces. The hardware on the doors, in hand-forged steel, replicates the trunks of the trees in the glass design.

... AND PRESERVING THE OLD

The Henigmans specialize in restoration of windows from churches, houses, schools or old hotels. When the original Cloister in Sea Island was razed to make way for the new hotel, the window wall of green glass leaf designs from one of the restaurants was delivered to the Henigman Glass Studio to be rebuilt and re-installed in the new hotel.

They have worked on restoration and repair of windows in Hay House, most recently on the Lord Byron window on the landing, damaged by a windstorm, but stabilized by Jim Henigman until it can be repaired.

Many houses in Macon’s downtown historic district have numerous stained, etched or painted glass windows and doors. In one College Street house, the owners are spared a mundane view of an alley by a leaded glass panel which fills the dining room with light and with frolicking cherubs, occupying almost the entire end wall of the room. The Henigmans have recently restored the window and are responsible for several new designs in interior windows that faithfully reproduce the look of 19th century stained glass.

Other areas in the house have windows glazed in glass that mimics marble in monochromatic colors, adding a permanent sunny glow in a landing seating area, even on the most dreary day. The house is a mini-museum of all of the examples of decorative glass that has been used since the sixth century. Ethereal images of angels are acid etched on a handsome pair of doors and a gaily painted geometric design surrounded by stained glass decorates several windows in the house.

These colorful windows are as integral to the design schematic in these houses as a collection of fine paintings, selected for the owners’ pleasure and as important accessories or focal points in a home’s environment.

Fortunately, the interest in preserving our physical history has effected another renaissance for protecting stained and decorative glass in America’s old homes and has inspired a generation to explore decorative glass as a design component in contemporary houses.

This story was originally published October 12, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Decorative element colors past and present."