Fledborough Glass
Back to Fledborough again. The church contains a significant amount of medieval stained glass. With the exception of only a couple of pieces, the glass is all fourteenth century and therefore contemporary with the church building itself. The couple of pieces that are not of this period are internationally important. Here they are:
The second piece of glass is not well preserved, but I think it is also a face like the first. So why are these rather rough and ready pieces of pink glass s0 important? They don't look much do they? They are so important because they are so early, they probably date from the twelfth century. Only three places in England have figurative stained glass dating from the twelfth century. Canterbury Cathedral, York Minster and the tiny little church of Dalbury in Derbyshire. The Dalbury glass (see below) is particularly lovely. A figure of an angel with a stiffness of pose that has much in common with Romanseque sculpture. The facial features at Dalbury are painted in a thick black line, as is the glass at Fledborough. So What do you think? I think the better preserved face at Fledborough compares very strikingly with this glass at Dalbury, particularly when it comes to the eyes and nose and the weight of the line. What an exciting find!
The second piece of glass is not well preserved, but I think it is also a face like the first. So why are these rather rough and ready pieces of pink glass s0 important? They don't look much do they? They are so important because they are so early, they probably date from the twelfth century. Only three places in England have figurative stained glass dating from the twelfth century. Canterbury Cathedral, York Minster and the tiny little church of Dalbury in Derbyshire. The Dalbury glass (see below) is particularly lovely. A figure of an angel with a stiffness of pose that has much in common with Romanseque sculpture. The facial features at Dalbury are painted in a thick black line, as is the glass at Fledborough. So What do you think? I think the better preserved face at Fledborough compares very strikingly with this glass at Dalbury, particularly when it comes to the eyes and nose and the weight of the line. What an exciting find!
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