TITLE: Geometric Grisaille
OBJECT TYPE: stained glass
OBJECT DESCRIPTION: grisaille panel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: 13th century grisaille stained glass panel. Three interlocking circles, unpainted.
NUMBER OF ITEMS: 1
PRODUCTION DATE: 1200 - 1250 (circa)
PRODUCTION PERIOD: Medieval
PRODUCTION PERIOD: 13th Century
DESIGNER: (probably English)
MANUFACTURER: (probably English)
PRODUCTION PLACE: England
DIMENSIONS
Height: 800 mm
Width: 280 mm
OBJECT NUMBER: ELYGM:1990.4
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Despite its great age, this 13th-century panel not only still has most of its original medieval glass, but also most of its original lead. The rough surface of the lead, cast in moulds, has been planed, giving it a distinctive facetted appearance. The glass is unpainted and therefore relies on the pattern of the leads for its decorative effect. The clear glass is lightly tinted as a result of the impurities in the raw materials that were used to make it. This kind of simple glazing, known as grisaille, is often associated with Cistercian churches, in which it expressed the simplicity of the Cistercian monastic ideal. It was also popular wherever a higher level of light or a cheaper form of glazing was requested.
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