stained glass historical timeline

Lycurgus cup

301

The Lycurgus cup is an ornamental drinking glass made from a medium that changes the color depending on the direction of light. Historians believe that the Lycurgus cup may have been produced by accident as no other work from this time period has such drastic color contrast.
4th century

Medieval monasteries

601

Glassmakers began shifting their attention to windows in the 7th century. The windows were used to adorn abbeys , convents , and other religious buildings. Fragments of these windows were excavated in 1973.
7th century

Islamic architecture

701

During the 8th century stained glass made its way to the middle east. The book of the hidden pearl was a colored glass cookbook discussing the magic behind the medium. Glass industries were thriving in Iraq , Syria , Egypt , and Iran. Artisans adopted the ancient roman medium. They used it to adorn mosques , Palaces , and many other staples in Islamic architecture.
8th century

Gothic cathedrals

1101

In the 12th century churches and cathedrals were build in Gothic cathedrals style to illustrate an interest in height and light. Gothic stained windows were also able to let more light in.
12th century

Augsburg cathedral

1101

The Augsburg cathedral has the oldest stained glass windows still in the same place. The windows display portraits of prophets and biblical figures such as Moses, Daniel, Jonah, and Hosea. During World war ll bombs seriously damaged the church but the stained glass windows escaped destruction.

Grisaille windows

1201

During the 13th century the Grisaille window was composed mostly of white glass with painted foliage designs and they leaded into a more or less geometric pattern. This design was created to let in a larger amount of light and it was considerably cheaper then colored glass.
13th century

Renaissance stained glass

1400

During the Renaissance light-filled rooms in homes were popular. By the late 1400s glass became more affordable and houses were increasingly fitted with clear glass windows with inset small stained glass panels. Panels like these were often made for private homes and castles.

Large-scale stained glass

1500

The production of large scale stained glass for churches flourished in Europe during the Renaissance. The color and complex workmanship of the panels indicate that they were lavish.

American arts and crafts

1801

American artisans transformed stained glass into a modern art form. Clear windows with pops of stained glass became an intrinsic part of interiors. In 1855 the Tiffany glass and decorating company started producing stained glass lamps.

nasir al-mulk mosque

1876

Mira Hassan Ali Nasir Al Mulk was a aristocrat of an Iranian family who wanted to tomb for his father. Inside of the tomb it was filled with intricate stained glass, illustrating traditional elements and designs. Inside you can find thousands of pink tiles on the ceiling and woven Persian carpets on the floor