Essentially, stained-glass window is only pieces of coloured glass held together in a latticed web of lead, and the technique of making stained glass windows has not changed much since the 12^th century. While the origins of stained glass are not totally clear, they probably developed sometime in the 10^th century, when church building was popularized.

It continued to flourish until the Reformation of the Church in the 1540s when changes in religious outlook undermined the need for sacred art. It is the Gothic age that produced the great cathedrals of Europe and brought stained glass into the mainstream. The following centuries saw a drop in the popularity of the art form, and in the 19^th century, a serious effort was made to rediscover the techniques of the medieval glazier. Glass studios began to make appearances and artists designed simple ornamental windows with bible art for churches.

This continued to be the norm until World War II, after which an explosion of interest in glass art has led to the presence of stained glass in American living rooms. Today, the rise of the individual artist, new technology and increasing interest in stained glass as a hobby made us arrive at the ‘Golden Era of Glass.’ Today, artists are free to experiment with the art, going much beyond the realm of religion.

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