Swiss Stained-Glass Panels: An Analytical Study

Abstract

Abstract:The history and iconography of Swiss stained glass dating between the 16th and 18th centuries are well studied. However, the chemical and morphological characteristics of the glass and glass paints, particularly the nature of the raw materials, the provenance of the glass, and the technology used to produce it are less well understood. In this paper, we studied two sets of samples from stained-glass panels attributed to Switzerland, which date from the 16th to 17th centuries: the first set comes from Pena National Palace collection, the second from Vitrocentre Romont. The aims were to identify the materials used in the production of the glass, to find out more about their production origin and to characterize the glass paints. Both glass and the glass paints were analysed by particle-induced X-ray emission; the paints were additionally analysed by scanning electron microscopy-electron-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results show that the glass from both sets was probably produced in the same region and that wood ash was used as a fluxing agent. Different recipes have been used to make the blue enamels. However, the cobalt ore used as a coloring agent in all of the blue enamels came from the mining district in Schneeberg, Germany.

XRF Imaging (MA-XRF) as a Valuable Method in the Analysis of Nonhomogeneous Structures of Grisaille Paint Layers

“…SEM-EDS is commonly used for the analysis of paint layers [9][10][11][12][13]. It provides valuable results, allows for the obtainment of quantitative elemental compositions, and helps determine the ratios between components in the studied area, among other things.…”

“…It provides valuable results, allows for the obtainment of quantitative elemental compositions, and helps determine the ratios between components in the studied area, among other things. Equally important are images obtained by means of a scanning electron microscope, which give an insight into the morphology and structure of the grisaille paint layers [5,[11][12][13]. Despite the possibilities of acquiring undoubtedly valuable data, the basic limitation in its use is the necessity to collect a sample of glass to prepare a cross-section.…”

Dating Nathan: The Oldest Stained Glass Window in England?

“…Corrosion crusts can also form when the water evaporates and leaves behind sulfates, carbonates, chlorides and nitrates of the alkalis and alkaline earths, as well as organic compounds [41,[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]. Furthermore, the presence of grisaille (typically high in lead and iron or copper [9,[54][55][56][57]) and yellow stain (composed of a silver compound and sometimes copper [58][59][60]), and the tendency of some metals such as lead to diffuse into the surrounding weathered glass [61], also contribute to an altered composition on the surface of the glass. The effect of deterioration (and decorative grisaille painting and yellow stain) on surface analyses of medieval window glass by pXRF has been addressed elsewhere with the result that, where visible corrosion deposits have been removed or are absent, heavy trace elements Rb, Sr and Zr can be well measured and can serve as proxies for major elements to distinguish not only major compositional categories [19], but also different recipes of forest glass from the same period [25].…”

Laser-based techniques for the non-invasive characterisation of grisaille paints on stained-glass windows

“…The higher amount of K 2 O can be related to using potassium-rich compounds, such as wood ash or potassium tartar, to lower the melting temperature and compensate for the low lead concentration [76]. The described composition is more similar to an enamel composition than a grisaille paint layer, indicating that the JC010 paint layer was wrongly identified as a grisaille when it probably is a dark enamel [76,77].…”