Ebay win: stained glass lampshade

At last! I've lost track of the number of these I've bid on over the years. Finally I won one. It's an old stained glass lampshade, which will be perfect to have as a little feature light above the front door of the cottage.



From the description:
Here we have a traditional period antique exterior stained glass Canopy Porch Lamp shade from the 1930's. This beautifully shaped shade comes in very good condition for age. All stained glass panels are intact and display no cracks to the coloured glass

Ebay win: stained glass bird windows

So these were a little bit of a splurge, but it's rare to find two handpainted sections of this size and (almost) matching... plus I really liked them. :-)

They're even nicer in real life, I'm using them here just propped up against one of the conservatory windows, but at Amherst I can see these could work well either side of a door perhaps.



From the description:
Two beautiful and lovely traditional hand painted and stained glass panels, depicting two different birds. These would have been made using traditional process of hand painting, staining and then kiln fired to make all work permanent. They could be incorporated into a stained glass or leaded panel, as decorative glazing or enjoyed just as they are as light catchers. All glass is intact. The centre glass is a clear rough rolled texture and the border is a blue/green of a similar but slightly different texture. Size of each panel is approx 28.2cm x 23.5cm

Ebay win: stained glass doorway

We won this set of stained glass yesterday and collected it this morning, as luckily turned out to be only 15 minutes drive away.

There are 5 pieces:

The top centre panel that goes above the door (120cm x 47cm), 2 vertical ones that run either side of the door (210cm x 42cm), and 2 smaller ones that sit atop the vertical ones to join it to the centre panel (47cm x 42cm). All measurements include the frames which are in great condition.



It looks nicer in real life than in the pictures... much more of a bronze/gold colour than orange.

It was used on an internal doorway at the house we collected it from, a 1930's era semi-detached house, but is solid enough it could be used on an outside entrance too (assuming we're allowed to have single glazed).

Ebay wins: sunrise windows & violin chairs

This week we got some more stained glass... I've been holding back on bidding for glass in recent months as we've already got quite a lot, and prices seem to have gone up since the early heydays of Ebay UK. But when I saw these I couldn't resist as it reminded me of the sun ray wooden motifs in Tallin, plus the colours go well with the set of 18 we've already got (see here at bottom).



From the description:
"Two 1930's art deco mountain sunrise stained glass windows in pine wood frame. Each measures approx 19" x 20". Beautiful shiney textured stained glass colours are emerald green, orange, blue, yellow and pale green. All glass is in good condition"


A few weeks before this we also got two more chairs. Not that we needed more chairs, but these were really cheap and they reminded me of my old violin. I envisage them painted in some muted blue/green/purple colour, on the verandah. Functional yet beautiful, except for the legs but they can be easily replaced.



From the description:
"Beautiful carved hall/kitchen chairs, two matching. They look to be in light oak. The back has a heart shape carved and an ornate shape which makes them very pleasing to the eye. They'd look fantastic in any environment and are very comfortable to sit on"

Ebay: giant clock & stained glass

We recently got an amazing deal on a giant clock. It was built 25 years ago by the guy we bought it from as an Art college project. He put it together from all kinds of junk gathered at Portobello Road market (back when it was still a flea market). It is as much a sculpture and work of art as it is a clock.

From the description:
"This is a very tall clock, eleven foot high with a high visual impact. It was a college project from twenty five years ago. It was constructed from various components found in a cabinet makers workshop. It was fitted with a modern electric movement but hasn't run for some time"

To give you a sense of the scale, here's Dave standing next to it at the guy's house before we took it apart to transport:


Here's a closer look at some of the detailing:




Around the same time we also came by a lovely piece of art deco glass. We're probably going to use it here in London but wanted to note it down anyway as a possibility for Amherst in future.

From the description:
"It is a beautiful piece of stained glass but is in need of restoration. Almost all of the damage is to the flat pieces of glass that have either come away from the lead or have cracks but not all of the flat pieces.The main part of the design the flowers and leaves are undamaged. as one can see from the images the design and glass are of a high quality. Size is 99cm across and 48 high in the middle.

Smith Museum of Stained Glass (Chicago)

OK this is a bit off-topic, but since I posted about Oak Park I figured I may as well put the rest up too. We went to this museum in the evening. It's at Navy Pier which is a very odd place for a museum... but nonetheless it was great. The windows were installed in lightboxes in the corridor so you could just wander through at your own pace.

If you want to see them all, you can look here but here's a sampler. My favourites, of course, were all by Tiffany:

yay, we won! amazing stained glass

We so very nearly didn't bid on these because we're supposed to be saving money (to help out in a family emergency) but in the end they're so special and unique, and we both loved them so much that we couldn't resist. We'll just have to eat rice & beans for the next month to make up for it!

I'm so happy we got them and can't wait to see them in real life. We trust that they'll be as good if not better than described though 'cos they're coming from the same people we bought the wonderful Arts&Crafts stair railing last year. Ultimately they'll be destined for Amherst somewhere but I think I'm going to try and use them here in London too, even if it's just leaning up against the windows we have already.

Here's some pictures, and below is the description from the auction listing.

57969-3293
Originally uploaded by lynetter.


57969-3290
Originally uploaded by lynetter.

"This auction is for 7 original 19th century Arts and Crafts hand painted stained glass leaded panels each measuring 11 x 10 inches. We have placed these in the order they appear to be in, symmetrical with the enameling all on the same side, (but does not look quite right, perhaps originally this was much bigger or in 2 parts or like), no matter - the absolute stunning original design and quality make these worth the restoration. The design has a border of a red & clear glass stripe all the way around the outside. There are 5 large stylized flowers (sunflowers with big seed heads and narrow petals?). These flowers seem to grow out of Acanthus leaves against a blue background. The flower heads, petals and leaves have all been hand painted with great detail. All glass is thick and heavy with an irregular texture, lots of ripples and little bubbles, fantastic depth of colours (we have photographed with light behind to illuminate). The lead work is all original and pretty much solid, with the exception of the lower right corner panel. Please see below for a concise list of condition. We have been advised that these have a baked on enamel decoration and date c1880. They are in the style of William De Morgan, William Morris, Mackintosh, the leading designers of the day. These are very unusual and it would not be surprising if these are actually by a prominent maker ...

This glass does have some cracks, most of which are not so noticeable but we have decided to highlight everything! Please keep in mind there are a total of 208 pieces of glass present. The top right hand corner panel is absent. Although these panels have been wiped over we have not attempted to clean thoroughly, there are some paint spots to the glass and the leadwork (green), that will need removing - this shows up as dark patches against the glass. Only 1 seed head has slight chipping to the edge which appears to have been done when cut. Out of all the flower petals only the top left corner panel (1 hairline) and the upper middle right hand panel (2 hairlines) have small fractures. Painted leaves: Top left corner panel (2 hairlines), Upper middle left panel (1), lower middle right (1), and from the two bottom panels that have many more leaves: The left hand has 2 out of 11 leaves have hairlines, and the right hand panel has 3 out of 9 damaged – also missing two small leaves on the left (see photo). Plain Blue Glass: Top left corner (3), Upper middle left (1), Lower Middle right (1), Lower left 1 out of 4 with hairlines, and lower right 2 out of 4. From the entire border we have counted 7 hairlines to the little red panels and 8 to the clear glass panels. ALL PANELS ARE EXTREMELY SOLID AND STRONG with the exception of the lower right hand corner panel; it has lost some of its edging lead work and is a little fragile as can be seen in the pictures.

Ebay win: more windows!

This morning we got an amazing bargain on Ebay, well I think so anyway. I nearly didn't even bid because the photos weren't very clear, but then decided to take a gamble as it was only an hour's drive away. Fortunately, no-one else bid against me so I got them for the asking price... It is 3 windows, all in pretty good condition, a few minor cracks in the glass but barely noticeable, and the leadwork is all in good nick. The person selling said they were all part of a set but I think only the two big ones are. The other is from the top of an old door and seems of quite a different scene... I don't mind the door window, but it's the other two that I adore. They're big; the glass sections are approx 17 inches across by 45 inches tall, and when you look at them side by side the images do seem to match up. They're in a solid metal frame so very sturdy.

Below are some pictures, and I am experimenting with a new photo blogging program called Hello (hence the little speech bubbly thing at the end).

First, here is the window from the top of a door
 


And here are the two windows that are part of a set. They're amazingly detailed; different in style to the other kinds we have as there isn't any clear glass in them, but similar heritage I think
 


 

Ebay win: picture stained glass windows

This kind of window very seldom comes up. The last time it did that I remember was about 2 years ago, when I bought them but that was a set of 5 small windows. I love those still but these ones are even more amazing because they're so big. Also fortunately they're in Kent too so not far from the russian chests... we shall make a dash down next weekend probably to pick them all up together! The description for all said "You are bidding for a stained glass window that has been taken out of a gorgeous manor house in Kent. How old these windows are I honestly could not tell you (1920/30's roughly)but I have never seen such lovely colours or fantastic workmanship like this"

The first window: Size of glass (not including frame) - H850mm x W430mm (10 different glass colours). Pane missing where pointing in picture and a crack in small clear glass pane by handle is the only damage


The second window: Size of glass (not including frame) - H1170mm x W460mm (7 different glass colours). Undamaged.


The third window: Size of glass (not including frame) Top vent- H430 x W430mm Bottom window-H700 x W460mm (10 different glass colours). Undamaged.

Ebay win: amazing victorian stained glass door

We bought this on a bit of a whim, because it was one of the nicest doors I've ever seen listed on Ebay. Also, because stained glass windows with hand-paintings in them are always a lot more expensive, and this door has two of them. The description:
"This is an original victorian stained glass door with raised mouldings on the front. The two stained glass panels have painted landscape scenes. As far as I can see none of the glass is damaged however some of the the lead work in places is perished and needs to be addressed. Some of the coloured glass in the panels doesn't seem to match but in my opinion it is original to the door and appears as though they have used what glass they had available to them. There are a few bumps and bruises throughout the door, nothing major but consistent with more than 100 years of use. Measurements: Width 28 inches, height 74.5 inches. Glass panels: 7.5 inches width, 35.5 inches tall. Landscape paintings: 6 inches in diameter"


Update
Here are some more pictures of the door taken at Aunt Marion's (where we'd had it stored). You can get a better idea of the details in this. I like it because it is beautiful but retains an amateurish, down-to-earth feel.

Ebay win: thistle stained glass panel

We bought this because it seemed like it would fit as part of a garden theme, maybe even in the garden wall. It isn't in perfect condition but then I only paid £5 for it so it doesn't need to be! From the description: "On offer here is a lovely stained glass window of a thistle.This window is 17 1/4" across by 15" high approx.This window is in need of a little tender loving care and a clean, it is in good condition but does have one lead lined area with 3 crackes in it and another has cracked with a small piece missing out of it which has made the larger piece loose, which are both to the right, so it is ideal for a small restoration project as it is on the clear glass only".

Ebay wins: giant lampshade and stained glass windows

Ebay is a godsend. Here is the first in what I'm sure will be a regular feature of things I've bought on Ebay for Amherst

From an email sent to Mum on 4th March 2004

That giant lampshade I got on Ebay arrives on Sunday, the one that we were thinking of using as a skylight somewhere in Australia. The frame is apparently too big and too heavy to get back by plane or to store here so we will probably arrange a furniture crate in the next few weeks. In fact, it's so heavy that it takes two people to lift it apparently so that'll be fun to install. It has an iron frame on it though so has been up at one point. I was told it was taken out of an old hotel in Bath that was torn down; I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Ebay receipt for the giant lampshade

This is the ebay receipt for the giant lampshade by the way,in which you can see a photo of it. We've shipped it back to Australia now, Dad's storing it somewhere in his garage I think. Cost a fortune but given we got it pretty cheaply, it evened out. Can't imagine ever finding another one like it! I don't normally scan in my ebay receipts but this was an exception as I had to email it to Dad for the Customs clearance.




Stained glass windows emails

From my email to Mum on 20th Feb 2004.
Look what we got for the Amherst house (well probably Amherst)... pretty good to get them all matching, don't you think, for this price? It was the fact they were all decent sizes and matching that made us decide to go for them. The colours are OK, enough variation that you wouldn't be limited in decorating colour inside anyway. Ebay item # 2595768317

They're in Southhampton, we'll collect over a weekend soon and combine it with a visit to Aunt Marion. The great thing too is they don't have their wooden frames, so a lot easier to store and bring back to Australia in a suitcase.

Mum said..
they are lovely. Dad is working for a guy in exchange for some glass panel things - he has enough to build his "conservatory" at the back iand in barter has done two days work. There is a lot more glass there - do you want him to get some more? He works as barter when he doesn't have another shift nursing...

And I said...
Perhaps... it depends on what the glass panels are like. e.g., are they doubleglazed? are they part of plastic units or wooden framed or no frame at all? I always like to do things the traditional way so ideally want everything to be timber framed. Of course if the glass is going for free then may as well take it as it can always be stored up at Amherst out of the way and gotten rid of later if not OK, but if it is going to cost money (or time from Dad which I will reimburse in money) then no point unless they're what we would want. We're going to visit Aunt Marion next weekend and pick up the glass then. Hopefully we'll be able to bring it all back with us when we come back this year but we'll see... I can't really tell how big they are all together till I see them.

Here is the Ebay receipt where you can see some very small pictures of them. These too are now safely back in Australia, we shipped them along with the lamp in an old Samsonite suitcase! One that I bought back in Seattle in around 1993, had done 10 years great service but lock was a bit dodgy now so glad it found a new use.