flashed glass

decorative art

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Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

Flashed glass is a technique used in stained glass art where a thin layer of colored glass is applied to a base layer of clear or differently colored glass. This process allows for detailed effects by grinding away portions of the colored layer to reveal the glass beneath.

This technique was developed in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. It offered artists more freedom in creating detailed designs without being limited by the intricate lead lines that held separate pieces of glass together. Ruby glass was one of the earliest types where this abrasion technique was applied. The development of flashed glass, along with other techniques like silver staining and vitreous enamel painting, significantly expanded the artistic possibilities in stained glass creation.1

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stained glass
Developments in the 14th century
…new technique, the abrasion of flashed glass. Ruby glass, whose unique composition made this technique possible, was a laminated glass, although it appears to be coloured intrinsically throughout like all of the other glass in the early windows. Because the metallic agent used to produce its colour was so dense,…
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…new technique, the abrasion of flashed glass. Ruby glass, whose unique composition made this technique possible, was a laminated glass, although it appears to be coloured intrinsically throughout like all of the other glass in the early windows. Because the metallic agent used to produce its colour was so dense,…
Read More