No one actually knows when stained glass was first invented because it happened before people started recording history. However, some historians think that it was first used as a luxury in the homes of affluent Romans in the first century AD. Stained glass was eventually recognized as an art form in the fourth century as Christians began to worship openly and to construct intricate churches in which to celebrate their religion.
On the other hand, other historians demonstrate that there are signs in ancient ruins that suggest that pagans employed stained glass in their ceremonies. Although we will most likely never really know the start of stained glass, it is pretty clear that the proliferation of Christianity is immediately connected with the spread of use of stained glass.
The Gothic Era commenced in the 12th Century and stained glass windows became an essential element in the design of cathedrals. It really all started with the pioneering style of the St. Denis, France, where stained glass windows were used to convey light into the church itself and into the minds of its worshipers. Sadly, most of the stained glass in the St. Denis Cathedral was destroyed in the course of the French Revolution, but there are a few pieces left and even some complete windows on exhibit in Europe.
Gothic style stained glass was composed of strong lines, but these increasingly went out of style as the Renaissance began. Throughout the Renaissance, artisans depicted better detail and more delicate colouring in order to add to the realism. Stained glass windows became more like paintings on glass than architectural features and some of the notable elements such as lead lines vanished. Because of the problems in showing the great detail essential to the Renaissance era, the old style, which was original stained glass almost died out.
In view of the fact that stained glass was used mostly by the Catholic Church, much of the work was destroyed during the reign of King Henry VIII after his split with the Pope. However, not only old stained glass windows were destroyed, but many of the glass making works were destroyed as well. However, religious strife was not the only cause of the decline of stained glass.
The fashion of the Baroque period was for more elaborate murals, which necessitated the use of clear glass. Therefore, many of the remaining stained glass windows were allowed to decay, and furthermore not many new stained glass windows were made. In the late 17th century, fashion returned to the Gothic style of architecture, which produced a renewed interest in stained glass windows.
Artisans continued to paint directly onto the glass at first, but later tried to emulate the old leaden frames of medieval days. However, since the earlier techniques had not been used for such a long time, they had become forgotten and the artisans of the period were unable to reconstruct the exact styles prevailing in Gothic stained glass.
During the 19th century, La Farge and Tiffany created new variations of stained glass. La Farge was interested in window designs, while Tiffany went into new areas like the Tiffany lamp shade.
These days, stained glass artists are not constricted by religious styles, although much of the work they do involves refurbishment. Modern stained glass is also used as the centre pane in front doors, especially uPVC doors, by rich and poor equally in the West.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Waterford crystal vases. If you have an interest in Irish crystal or wedding rings, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring
Chinese Lunar Calendar
January 16th, 2010Prior to their adoption of the Western solar calendar scheme, the Chinese almost wholly followed their own lunar calendar for determining the times of planting and harvesting and festival days. Though people in China today use the Western calendar for almost all business, governmental and practical matters of daily life, the old arrangement still serves as the basis for working out numerous seasonal holidays. This coexistence of two calendar systems has long been acknowledged by the people of China.
However, this does not only happen in China, it also occurs in most other Eastern countries, like Thailand, and most Arabic countries.
A lunar month is determined by measuring the period of time needed for the moon to finish its full cycle of 29 and a half days, a standard that makes the lunar year a full eleven days shorter than its solar counterpart. This difference is made up every 19 years by the addition of seven lunar months.
The 12 lunar months are further divided into 24 solar divisions distinguished by the four seasons and times of heat and cold, all of which bear a close relationship to the annual cycle of agricultural work.
The Chinese calendar – very much like the Hebrew calendar- is a combination of the solar and lunar calendars in that it strives to have its years coincide with the tropical year and its months agree with the synodic months. It is not surprising that a few similarities exist between the Chinese and the Hebrew calendar.
For instance, an average year has 12 months, a leap year has 13 months. An ordinary year has 353, 354, or 355 days, a leap year has 383, 384, or 385 days. When working out what a Chinese year will be like, one needs to make a number of astronomical calculations.
First of all, you have to work out the dates for the new moons. In these instances, a new Moon is the completely black Moon (that is to say, when the Moon is in conjunction with the Sun), not the first visible crescent, as is used by the Islamic and Hebrew calendars. The date of a new moon is then the first day of a new month.
The reason why the majority of countries which had their own calendars had to dump them in favour of the Western, Julian calendar that we use today, is business. First the British and then the Americans ran international business and they used the Gregorian calendar. Anyone who sought to work with them had to follow suit. This is why national policy often varies from local custom in Third World countries.
The government desires to deal on the International markets, but the ordinary family in the country can not. So, the government took up the Gregorian calendar but the people only pay lip service to it. I live in Thailand and people here do not even use the 24 hour day divided into two halves. Their day has four sections of six hours each and the first part starts at 6AM, not midnight. Therefore, they have four 4 o’clocks a day, for instance but no 7 o’clocks. They are also 543 years ahead of us, although this is more common, for instance in Muslim countries.
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our web site now at Promotional Desk Calendars
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