Historical digression
Artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany was the first to propose this method. He fastened stained glass elements with lead broaches and copper foil. He deliberately changed the thickness of the stained glass seams. In this case, the image made an even greater impression, striking in volume and naturalness. Often the stained-glass windows of the master turned out to be too heavy. The fact is that he forgot about the nuances of technology, thinking only about the decorative effect.
However, in the end, the technology was simplified for practicality, and now stained glass windows in Tiffany technique are the most popular stained glass windows in the world.
The use of stained glass in the Tiffany technique
Tiffany's technique is used in the manufacture of door panels, windows, mirrors. Any interior will be transformed if you add to it such an addition as a colored pattern on the windows. Well, in the event that outside your window is not the best best view, just install with inside a double-glazed stained glass window: on the one hand, this will decorate the interior, on the other hand, the landscape outside the window will also change. Artistic stained glass in the Tiffany style- a wonderful decoration for any room, it pleases the eye and creates an atmosphere of fabulous comfort.
Tiffany stained glass windows are a wide variety of stained glass products created using original technologies developed about a hundred years ago. Today, they are actively used both in outdoor and interior work, with their help, decor items, furniture, lamps, etc. are made.
Tiffany stained glass windows and their creator
American artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, who did a lot in the field of stained glass art, lived and worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He began his activity with the founding of a jewelry company, which bore the name of the creator. He received his education in the field of painting in Paris and, of course, could not help but observe magnificent examples of French glass production with his own eyes. In particular, Chartres Cathedral struck his imagination.
It was during this period that he decided on the main field of activity - decorative art. The choice fell on the design of the interior and the development of its decor items, so in 1879 the company "Louis C. Tiffany and Associated Artists" arose, the founder of which was himself, as well as Samuel Coleman and Candance Wheeler. Tiffany was an adherent of the Art Nouveau style, and this determines the syncretism of his work: in this style, any architectural structure was considered as a whole. external solutions, interior decoration, windows, stairs, doors, wall and ceiling decor, furniture, textiles, lighting and even table setting items - all this occupied the designer during the development of projects. As part of his work, the designer was closely involved in stained glass windows, so popular in Art Nouveau. Colored glass really transforms the interior in a very spectacular way, so the designer begins to become more and more interested in the technological capabilities of stained glass, and since 1883 he completely moves into this area. As a result of lengthy experiments, the artist develops a fundamentally new technique for assembling glass parts, which was named after the author.
Features of the manufacture of stained-glass windows using the Tiffany technique
Tiffany was not satisfied with the previous stained glass approach: it was too rigid. As a result, the product was completely subject to strict geometry, and glass did not reveal its full potential. The idea of the designer was to develop a different, more flexible mounting option instead of the lead guide profile that was used in.
He suggested wrapping each piece of glass around the edge with special foil or copper tape, and then soldering the foil (tape) itself. At the same time, the width of the tape was chosen a little more than the thickness of the glass, so that its edges could be bent. Soldering is done with tin solder, and the finished stained-glass window is placed in a rigid metal profile for structural strength.
Photo of making Tiffany stained-glass windows by the masters of "Glasssphere"
Benefits of Tiffany stained glass
The result of innovations is the ability to make the broach width minimal, which made the stained-glass windows as elegant as possible. The thickness of the contour of the image can be very small, only 1-2 mm, which allows you to create minimalist works. This does not prevent, if necessary, to produce additional painting in the area of small details. Special paint contains components that provide strong adhesion to the base during firing.
In addition, the technology can significantly reduce the size of the glass elements that make up the future work of art. This makes the work more detailed and rich in color and imagery. The soldering lines have different thicknesses in different areas, this provides additional expressiveness and a feeling of plasticity of the product, emphasizes manual work.
A very important advantage of this technology is that the elements can be easily soldered to each other at different angles. With this fastening, it became possible to assemble from multi-colored pieces of glass not only flat products, but also decor of rounded shapes. by the most famous example such complex configurations were Tiffany lamps, which for many decades became his hallmark.
Modern usage
The masters of our time are actively using the technology that appeared a hundred years ago in their projects. Thanks to the huge decorative possibilities it is used by the artists of the Steklosfera studio (Moscow) both for the manufacture of traditional windows, doors, partitions, and for more elegant and intricate interior items: lamps, furniture elements, masking screens heating appliances etc. If the canvas is used as an insert in a window or front door, then protection with triplex or shockproof film is applied. As a result, the reliability of the entire structure is significantly increased.
Modern innovations have also affected the manufacture of stained-glass windows using the Tiffany technique - today not only silicate glass is used, but also acrylic, which ultimately significantly reduces the weight of the product. This achievement expands the possibilities of designers, because now it is possible to mount structures even on suspended ceilings.
Today it is necessary to be very attentive to the quality of colored glass products. If you decide to buy Tiffany stained-glass windows in Moscow, you need to consider them from all sides: check it against the light, analyze whether there is excess solder left, whether the soldering points are polished with high quality. So, Chinese Tiffany stained-glass windows at a low price may have poor quality soldering from the wrong side. Pay attention to the presence / absence of cracks, chips and cracks on the elements. Brass fittings, if used, must not be deformed.
The masters of the Steklosfera studio are fluent in the technique of making Tiffany stained-glass windows and know all its subtleties. If you want to buy a high-quality and unique piece of art at a low price, then we will be happy to help you!
At the word " stained glass window» is born in the mind vivid image colored glass artwork. It is not surprising that these elements decorative finishes interiors have passed through the centuries. They have a long history.
How stained glass windows appeared
Conscious modern man stained glass windows strongly associated with Catholic churches and gothic castles. However, they have more early history. The first evidence of mosaic decoration of walls with opaque glass dates back to ancient world. Prototypes of stained glass decor are found in the chronicles Ancient Greece and Ancient Egypt.
In the early Christian era, cathedrals were decorated with colored glass. There are eyewitness accounts of the 5th-6th century about this. Bishop Fortunatus (6th century) in one of his letters praised the masters who decorated church basilicas with stained-glass windows.
stained glass Tiffany
Up to the 19th century stained glass window made with lead wire. She served as a connecting link of mosaic elements. The revolution in this area was made by the American artist and jeweler Louis Tiffany. He came up with the idea of using copper tape and the tin soldering method. Products turned out to be more weightless, elegant, skillful. In addition, the American technique was marked by bright, juicy flowers and natural motifs patterns.
stained glass today
From temples to interiors stained glass migrated in the 19th century. Today it has become effective tool, with the help of which the most ordinary interior will acquire features of exclusivity. Designers are happy to use the technique to create memorable projects. Order Tiffany stained-glass windows for the interior can be done by anyone. The cost depends on the amount of work, the complexity of the drawing, technique, etc.
Stained glass studio "Tiffany" (Moscow) offers buy author's stained-glass windows for interior decoration. We work in different techniques for making products to order: tiffany, film stained glass, sandblasting, mosaic, fusing, erklez, classic stained glass window etc.
Each client is guaranteed an individual approach. This principle follows from the characteristics of the services provided. In nature, there are no two identical people, and therefore carbon copy products are not created in our studio. Each stained glass is exclusive. The artist develops a sketch, which is then enlarged to life size on paper, the so-called "cardboard" is created, glasses are selected for each detail of the stained-glass window. According to the contours of the "cardboard", experienced craftsmen, under the control of the artist, manually cut out each individual piece of glass, like a mosaic, so that the seams are perfectly thin, they are turned on a rotating diamond head until they fit perfectly together, then, each piece is wrapped with a special copper tape on the side sides, is assembled into a general picture and soldered with melting tin on both sides of the stained glass, then the silvery seams are polished and patinated with acid in order to give antiquity and make them dark, black, copper or Brown color. Or, if desired, left silver.
To order the service, contact the masters of the studio "Tiffany" (Moscow). An employee of the company, together with the client, will agree on the time and date of the meeting and will bring glass samples (optional), sketches, portfolio finished works, color samples of the fastening structures of the "frames" so that you can see and touch everything with your own eyes. The sketch is drawn up after clarifying the wishes of the customer regarding appearance products. If necessary, the drawing is corrected. Then, experienced craftsmen taken to work.
To buy stained glass - take the first step. Send information with dimensions and the proposed stained-glass window to our email. address: , This adress Email protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view. or call our studio. The site has the ability to call a measurer or order back call. Own service delivery will bring ready product safe and sound at the specified address and will carry out highly professional installation. Contact us!
Making art begins with making a sketch. The sketch is developed taking into account the fragility of glass and all kinds of methods of its processing. For example, it is impossible to cut a part with a simple glass cutter. inside corner, for this you need a jigsaw, and this detail will obviously be the weak point of this stained glass window. Long and narrow parts tend to burst in the narrowest place, so in advance, when making a sketch, these and other glass features must be taken into account. It is also necessary to take into account the maximum allowable size of the stained-glass window (depending on the installation method) and provide for the division of the stained-glass window into fragments. Do not forget that with a wide variety of shades and textures of art glass, not all colors on paper can be selected in glasses and take this into account when choosing glass. After making a sketch, it is transferred to the "cardboard". "Carton" in the language of stained glass is a sketch drawn in black outline on white paper, life-size. On the “cardboard” they usually indicate all the information necessary for the stained-glass artist: the distribution of parts by color, which side of the glass (front or back) to lay out certain parts, also, if the direction of the glass pattern matters in this sketch, the direction is indicated on such parts.
After that, the details of the stained-glass window are cut manually or using special devices and machines in strict accordance with the sketch. Next, the cut parts must be processed (turned) on grinder. When final fitting the details of the stained-glass window, it must be borne in mind that between the details there should be minimum clearance, which will be removed by wrapping the parts with copper foil (foil). It is also necessary to pay attention to the observance of the main lines (so that there are no ledges). In order to be made exactly in size, and not to spread during soldering, the stained-glass window along the perimeter is limited by rigidly fixed straight rails (rectangular sketch). After all the details are turned and fitted, the entire stained glass window should be checked for compliance. color scheme according to the sketch, if some parts do not fit, they must be cut again.
Then the edge of the parts is wrapped with copper self-adhesive foil. Exist various sizes foil in width. To choose suitable foil necessary based on the thickness of the glass used in the work. The foil should be evenly glued to the edge of the parts and at the same time be evenly bent over the edges, the ends of the copper tape should overlap each other by several millimeters. In order for the foil to fit more tightly and evenly to the part, a special plastic spatula is used. Pay attention to the fact that the more accurately the fitting of the parts is carried out, the more accurate and elegant the seams will be and the higher the strength of the stained glass will be.
Before soldering, the seams of the parts must be treated with soldering acid (flux). Then, with the help of a soldering iron and solder, the stained-glass window is soldered by spot soldering (as a rule, in the corners and joints of parts), and then the stained-glass window is completely soldered on both sides. The whole complexity of this process lies in the skills of the master. The soldering iron must be carried out evenly without stopping in order to avoid cracking of parts from overheating.
After soldering, the stained-glass window is thoroughly washed and dried, then the stained-glass window seams are patinated with a special composition (patina) to give the stained-glass window seams the required color. Next, the stained-glass window is again thoroughly washed, dried and, if necessary, the seams are rubbed with a special compound that prevents the seams from oxidizing. Also, if necessary, the stained-glass window is inserted into the brass broach along the perimeter.
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Tiffany stained glass installation
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Manufacturing and installation of stained glass
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