Topic: Old Window Glass ID guide - posted by Anne - an example of Muslin glass

[flying free]

Anne posted this in the reference section so I thought I'd add our example of one of the patterns shown:
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,69671.msg388240.html#msg388240

We  have double doors in our hall with four panes of Muslin glass in pattern no 7811 (photo 1 below):
https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/muslin_glass_02.jpg

They are surrounded by Art Nouveau red overlay cut to clear panels with detailed blue star corners cut to clear. (there's a photo somewhere on the board of the overlay glass I think)
Pic here:
https://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=43960.0;attach=86034;image

I have an ongoing love hate relationship with the old glass in our house as one panel of the muslin glass and one of the red cut to clear plus one of the blue stars had to be remade as they were damaged.  They cost a fortune to have done and match especially the ruby overlay cut to clear.

We had some new glass made for the front door panes to complement this glass in the middle doors:
Pilkington Canterbury Clear Opaletch
https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Pilkington_2020_decorative_glass_CanterburyClearOpaletch536457.jpg

The front door originally had the Ornamental Rolled Glass 3681 Small Muranese in it if I recall correctly.  I assume it was original as it dates to when the front of the house was built on.  It was badly damaged by previous owner and had to be replaced:
https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/muranese-lustex.jpg

We also have a double window that opens inwards with both doors opening into a back to back.  I believe it's quite an old window as it's in the older back of the house and matches windows and cast iron grills in the original owner's father's house down the road.  That house is about 100 years older than ours. 
The glass panes in each of the 8 panels are curiously odd.  Each is made up of two rectangular pieces of glass wedged together to form the pane.  As though the only size available was small rectangular sheets which had to be jigsawed together to form the right size? (photo 2 below - hopefully should show a horizontal line across the panes where the two panes are joined in each window).

[chopin-liszt]

Small muranese is awfully familiar. In sheds, in outside loos, in tiny, cast iron window frames.
Our stained glass panels and windows here seem to use a lot of Chance Pilkington textures I'm more familiar seeing in handkies, but we had to get a couple repaired after they got stood on by burglars on their way in (they didn't use the door).
It was very difficult to find the right textures and colours of flat glass for the repairs, and the lady artist(Liz Rowley) who did it for us made an excellent job of substitution where she had to.
The only old glass in external windows here is in the small back window, (now part of the new bathroom) which has a texture of fine vertical lines.

There was a right mish mash of old stuff in iron frames in the cottage. Including, I'm sure, one bit where two bits of glass were just pushed together side by side.
I'll see if I can find pics. (They've been replaced.)