History of Stained Glass
Stained glass, this is glass that has color added to it by metallic oxides during the manufacturing process. Stained glass is an ancient process that dates back to the ancient Roman Empire. The best Known piece that exists is the Lycurgus Cup form the early fourth century.
By adding different additives to the liquid glass, this produced different hues and this led Ancient Craftsmen to produce glass with specific colors. When they heated the glass to add the color, as they left it cool it could be shaped and pieced together to produce decorative glass.
Various materials can be placed on the glass pieces to be held in place. Lead, copper foil, stone, and ceramic clay were some of the materials they used.
Stained glass was not just windows, the first known pieces were functional items with a decorative finish using colored glass. Stained glass was used to create religious images and to highlight the wealth of the people that owned the building.
