A Stained-glass Christmas: With Six Removable Windows

The Christmas story illustrated with a collection of stained-glass images dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. Each is reproduced as an acetate window, which can be taken out and used as Christmas decoration. Famous windows include: the Annunciation panels at S. Croce Cathedral in Firenze; Uccello's Nativity window at Duomo; and a formal tableau dating from the 12th century, illustrating the Adoration of the Magi.

In "A Stained-Glass Christmas," the story of Christ's birth is set against magnificent examples of the glasswork it inspired during the High Middle Ages and Early Renaissance. Each of these stained-glass images is reproduced as a text illustration and as an acetate "window" which can be taken out of the book and displayed.

Here is an array of jewel-like masterpieces including the Nativity rendered with startling realism by Paolo Ucello in his window from Florence's Duomo, the Incarnation window from Chartres depicting the Visitation and the Annunciation to the Shepherds, and the Flight into Egypt panel from Canterbury Cathedral portraying the Holy Family in a manner both intimate and ethereal.

With an introduction and index by eminent stained-glass artist Patrick Reyntiens, "A Stained-Glass Christmas" is a celebration of the art of stained glass and a collection of timeless and classic holiday decorations.