Leadlight

Leadlight windows almost always employ the use of quarries, pieces of glass cut into regular geometric shapes, sometimes square, rectangular or circular but most frequently diamond-shaped, creating a "diaper" pattern.

Used extensively during the 19th century in England and Commonwealth countries, these quarries are often the product of a single studio, James Powell and Sons of Whitefriars.

Lathe-cut quarries with a simple star-burst pattern are very common in the late 19th century domestic architecture of many regions, both in leadlighting and in simpler wooden-framed glazing.

Leadlight has been in use for over a thousand years, having its origins in the Roman and Byzantine windows that were made of thin sheets of alabaster set in armatures of wood or wrought iron.

Many buildings exist that were glazed at this period, Little Moreton Hall (1555–1559) in Cheshire, England, being particularly famous for the extensive nature of its leadlighting.

Later windows often had crown glass, which has a much better surface quality and shows slight concentric ripples that form as the disk is spun.

In grander houses, the windows often contain small painted panes or stained glass panels containing heraldic emblems and coats of arms.

During the 19th and early 20th century a great number of important medieval houses were restored and had their windows returned to an earlier style of glazing.

The glazing of the western range of Haddon Hall, Derbyshire, is particularly effective as each pane is set at a different angle to those adjacent, creating jewel-like facets when seen from the exterior.

In the late Victorian period it was common for leadlight windows in wealthier homes to contain small rondels painted in grisaille (grey) and depicting birds or fruit and flowers representing the seasons.

At this time also a great number of new churches were constructed, particularly in England, the United States, countries of the British Commonwealth, and Japan.

Many of these churches were initially glazed with leadlight, often in pastel cathedral glass or Powell's cast quarries with impressed designs.

The Art Nouveau or Secessionist style dominated the design, leading to the incorporation of many long curved sections of glass that were never previously a feature of leadlight windows.

Many late 19th and early 20th century commercial buildings make extensive use of leadlighting, particularly in shopping arcades and tea rooms.

The late 20th century has seen a popular revival of the craft, which is now widely taught in technical colleges and practised by many artists, both commercial and hobbyists.

With a revival of the craft, both abstract design and formalised pictorial motifs have flourished, as has the use of irregularly textured and patterned glass.

The finer products of late 20th and 21st century leadlighting continue to display a mastery of the traditional technical skills, an awareness of design trends and original creative artistry.

Built for Scottish ice engineer John Kennedy, it was owned for 40 years by heritage activist Polly Willis.

[3] Hall and entry leadlights of bearded iris and roses are attributed to Arthur Clarke[4] of Barnett Bros East Perth.