Roundel
Unknown Artist
ca. 1360–77
Medium
Stained Glass
Dimensions
10 1/4 in. × 5/16 in. (26 × 0.8 cm)
Classification
Glass-Stained
Culture
British
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George D. Pratt, 1935
Accession Number
41.170.76
Art Historical Context
This delicate stained glass roundel, crafted by an unknown British artist around 1360–77, exemplifies the exquisite artistry of late medieval England. Measuring just 10¼ inches in diameter and a mere 5/16 inch thick, these small circular panels were popular decorative elements, often set into wooden tracery or stonework in domestic windows, monastic settings, or secular buildings. Unlike grand cathedral windows, roundels brought vibrant color and narrative scenes into everyday spaces, filtering sunlight to create jewel-like effects. The medium of stained glass—pot-metal glass colored during m...