e piece is virtually the same as it was in medieval Europe, design the pattern, cut and grind the glass, wrap the glass with foil and solder with lead. The techniques remain the same, but modern technology, specifically the improved soldering irons and glass cutters, make the process easier and faster.Glass was known and used approximately five thousand years ago, but it was not used in windows until the third century after Christ. Early windows were small and the pieces of clear or colored glass were set in plaster to form a design. It is said that when they were viewed against the light from the dark interior, the colors sparkled like jewels. In fact, people thought sapphires and rubies were ground up to make the bright blues and reds. The golden age of stained glass coincided with the flowering of Christian architecture in Europe. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, following the crusades, gothic cathedrals dominated European cities. The magnificent stained glass windows in these cathedrals were used to teach the Bible since the literacy rate was so low and it was the only "books" the people had. In these windows, colored glass and lead lines told most of the story. Details such as facial features and the simple suggestions of drapery or decorative repeat motifs, were painted on the glass pieces with black or brown lead paints. These were then kiln fired, fusing the paint permanently on to the glass. Many of them remain as beautiful today as they were when they were when the churches was built. In France the Chartes Cathedral has exquisite stained glass art containing no less than one thousand three hundred and fifty subjects, with over three thousand figures. The art declined during the renaissance but at the turn of the century, a renewed interest in medieval art led artists back to the gothic cathedrals and their windows. Inspired by the timeless beauty of the original windows, American artists such as Tiff...
