Narthex: The vestibule, or entrance of a church.
Nave: The long, central portion of a church auditorium.
Navettes: Specific pressed glass jewels as opposed to globs. Navettes are sharp ovals
Negative Painting: A reverse glass-painting technique done on the back side of glass, in which the detail is painted before the background. Usually done with unfired paints.
Negative Space: Any part of a glass window through which no light is transmitted, usually the dark lead line, matrix area of a window and/or an opaque painted area.
Neo Gothic: Nineteenth Century revival of Gothic style.
Nipper: (1) Another name for the type of pliers used in lead came construction. (2) Tool used in mosaic work to break and shape pieces.
Noodles: Flat, lengths of glass (like fettuccini noodles) rod used singly, in sheets, blown forms, or fused together to create Murrini. Also used in beadmaking.
Nonrepresentational: Not representing any object. Not realistic.
Norman Slabs: Glass blown into a rectangular mold and cut apart on the corners, resulting in square or rectangular pieces that are thin at the edges and thick in the middle.
North Side: The north or left side of a church is traditionally the side of darkness and the Old Testament, which is often reflected in the subject matter and colors of these windows. It is not necessarily compass north.
Nugget: Another name for glass globs, thick, free-form rounded pieces of stained glass in various sizes. Often used to replace smaller round pieces in a design, such as grapes in a cluster, a flower center, or to add dimensional interest to a piece. Sizes range from ~¼" to up to ~2" in diameter and come in a variety of cathedral and opal colors.
Oaktag: A heavy paper used for patterns in stained glass work.
Obscure: Non-transparent glass resulting from painting, sandblasting or acid etching.
Obsidian: A volcanic mineral that was the first form of natural glass used by humans. It is usually black, but it can also be very dark red or green; its splinters are often transparent or translucent.
Oculus: A circular window without stone tracery. Also called Occhio, Occhi, Oculu.
Oil of Spike: Solvent for enamel medium.
Opak: White opal flash on a colored antique.
Opal Glass: A glass with a milky or resinous appearance, like the gemstone.
Opalescent Glass: Glass that is not transparent, although some sheets may contain relatively transparent areas. A sheet can be a single, solid color or a swirling mix of two or more colors. Generally you cannot see through opalescent glasses because of their dense color.
Opaque: Not transparent.
Openwork: Work that is perforated. Openwork in glass objects may be made by creating a network of trails, by casting, or by cutting.
Optic Mold: An open mold with a patterned interior in which a parison of glass is inserted, then inflated to decorate the surface.
O.S.H.A:. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, charged with ascertaining that employers provide their employees a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious harm to their employees.
Overglaze: Products used in kilnwoking designed to prevent or reverse divitrification in the glass.
Oxidation: Chemical process where substance reacts with oxygen to produce oxides. Most often refers the the reaction of metals, like lead came, and air that produces a coating or layer on the surface that produces a tarnish or coating that resists soldering. Some effects of oxidation purposefully sought for their decorative effect, as when copper oxidizes to warm browns or greens.
The sources for this material include:
•Glass: A Pocket Dictionary of Terms Commonly Used to Describe Glass and Glassmaking.
Compiled by David Whitehouse, 88 pp., 47 illus., 1993
•How to Work in Stained Glass. Anita & Seymour Isenberg, 247 pp., 1972
•Stained Glass Lamps. Anita & Seymour Isenberg, 222 pp., 1972
•The Techniques of Stained Glass. Partrick Reyntiens, 168 pp. 1977
•The Coming Museum Website: www.cmog.org
• The Stained Glass Association of America Website: www.stainedglass.org
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