Commissioned by Cadw, The Glaziers Window was designed and made by Rachel Phillips and Linda Norris of Studio Melyn for the King’s Gate Chapel at Caernarfon Castle, a 13th Century Castle and World Heritage Site in North Wales, UK. It was installed in September 2022.

Using traditional techniques to make a contemporary work, the work celebrates the craft of glass making from the medieval period to the present day. Referencing existing 13th century glass work and medieval documents, the artists have combined the use of traditional vitreous enamel glass painting and silver staining techniques with 21st century techniques like bonding, sand blasting and waterjet cutting.

The window is mostly formed of etched and painted mouth blown flashed glass. This is used in combination with yellow factory-made glass produced by Bullseye Glass Company which has been kiln cast by Studio Melyn to incorporate medieval tile patterns. The window includes a number of bespoke roundels, blown by Devereux Huskie Glassworks and painted and etched by Studio Melyn. All the glass pieces are bonded onto laminated toughened glass.

The window design features fragments of medieval manuscripts, liturgical music from the period and an extract of a description of medieval glass making techniques written by 12th Century monk, Theophilus Presbyter. The design also features a detail of canopy designs from a mid 14th century whitewashed glazing table from Girona Cathedral illustrating the medieval process of window making.

Photo by Peter Williams

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