Lot # 1: Large c. 1890 Leaded Stained Glass Panel - Golfing Angels

Category: Art Work, Photos

Starting Bid: $1,000.00

Bids: 1 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Summer 2021",
which ran from 7/7/2021 12:00 PM to
7/24/2021 8:00 PM



This is one of the most amazing antique golf items the auctioneer has ever seen!  It's truly a work of art. This antique leaded stained glass panel not only creates a heavenly golf scene, complete with angels/cherubs and long nose golf clubs, a golf ball, and hole marker, it provides a rich and vibrantly image.  When light shines through it, the colors are spectacular!

This panel is exceedingly heavy, weighing in at a full 15 pounds.  While the wood frame does contribute some weight, it's the old lead and stained glass that provides the lion's share. The wood frame around the stained glass panel is modern and locks in the leaded glass on both sides, to keep it stabilized. It's professional work.

Including the wood frame, this item measures 24 1/2" wide by 22 1/2" tall by 1 6/8" deep. When picking up this item, the 15 pound weight of this large lead and glass creation is clearly evident. There are two mounting anchors built into the back of the wood frame.

When he purchased this item, the consignor was told that it was from a Glasgow hotel constructed somewhere around 1890. This stained glass window was purchased at a 1990s UK auction and the dealer who acquired it for the consignor most likely asking the auctioneer where this piece came from and then shared the response with the new owner. Looking at the nature of the work on this piece, plus the short hole marker in the center of the scene, c. 1890 fits well. 

The antique nature of this piece is reflected in the "painted glass" style that became popular again in the mid-1800's, as medieval/gothic-styled stained glass made a comeback and art nouveau became the new dominant style. The glass has been painted in many places to fill in the details of the angels faces, hair, fingers, wings, clothing, the golf club grips and whipping, the flowers, grass etc. These design components painted onto the glass were fired in a kiln before the glass was assembled.  This took a significant amount of extra time and increased the cost. Given all the hand painting on much of the glass in this panel, this had to have been an expensive piece when it was made.

The stained glass itself, without the frame, measures approximately 22 1/2" wide by 20 1/2" tall. There are a few cracks in a couple of pieces of glass as shown in the photographs (the left foot of both the caddie and the golfer have small cracks), but none of structural significance. For all intents and purposes, they are not even noticed when viewing this beautiful scene.

According to Wikipedia, "The term stained glass is also applied to windows in enameled glass in which the colors have been painted onto the glass and then fused to the glass in a kiln; very often this technique is only applied to parts of a window. Stained glass, as an art and a craft, requires the artistic skill to conceive an appropriate and workable design, and the engineering skills to assemble the piece. A window must fit snugly into the space for which it is made, must resist wind and rain, and also, especially in the larger windows, must support its own weight. Many large windows have withstood the test of time and remained substantially intact since the Late Middle Ages."

This piece reflects the light beautifully, and the details are exquisite both up close and from afar. A cherub and his heavenly caddie, teeing up to play hole number 6, now that's truly celestial!

Given just a touch of creativity, this glass panel could be built into a backlit shadow box with small LED lights around the inside perimiter.  The end result with the glass illuminated and mounted on the wall or set on display would be stunning.  YouTube has a nice selection of videos on how to make a light box for stained glass.  It's not hard.

This piece is one of a kind, and the person who created this ethereal treasure was a true artisan.  The chances of another antique hand-painted leaded stained glass golf image coming to market is pretty close to absolute zero.  If you'd like a chance to acquire this divine item, your prayers have been answered!

 


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