Macro Detail of Faceted Clear Glass Slab, Mary, Mother of Priests Chapel

Description

An extreme macro close-up photograph examining a single slab of clear "dalle de verre" (faceted glass) used within the chapel’s architectural window installations. This detailed physical record documents the unique material characteristics and hand-crafted qualities of 1960s slab glass production.

The image features:

* Glass Imperfections and Inclusions: The macro shot clearly captures trapped air bubbles (seeds), internal swirls, and organic flow lines created during the glass-casting process. These internal features catch light, creating subtle highlights and refraction patterns within the translucent medium.

* Hand-Chipped Edge (Faceted Detail): The upper and right edges exhibit the deliberate chipping and fracturing characteristic of the dalle de verre technique. Craftsmen intentionally chipped the edges of the thick glass slabs with a hammer or chisel to increase surface facets, maximizing the prism-like scatter of sunlight.

* Material Thickness: The cross-sectional view highlights the substantial depth of the glass slab (typically about 1 inch thick), which gave the chapel’s windows their structural rigidity and distinctive jewel-toned illumination.

* Archival Documentation: This close-up provides important conservational data regarding the exact glass formula, surface degradation, and technique employed by the studio that fabricated the nave’s litany window series.