The pieces of glass are held together by leads and fixed within a frame.
Stained glass is a major form of the decorative arts that has an intimate link with architecture.
The design is expressed partly by the arrangement of shapes of glass and partly by the addition of glass paint. Its essential form is two-dimensional and is used mostly for the purpose of creating a special atmosphere such as can be found in churches. Stained glass techniques have remained virtually unchanged from the early Gothic period until well into the 20th Century. Traditional techniques are still practiced widely in the same manner as they were hundreds of years ago. The materials as well as the methods have remained unchanged over time.