Stained Glass Turtle Window Panel

This Stained Glass Turtle Window was inspired by my father’s love of the turtles he swam with as a child in the ocean surf of Hawaii. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle is the only indigenous reptile found in Hawaii, but for Hawaiians, the Honu is a symbol of good luck (pōkole) and wisdom (akamai) in the form of a guardian spirit. My father brought his love of turtles to the mainland, friending small turtles in his home in Sacramento.

The glass used in this piece is carefully chosen for its color and texture. Green and yellow textured and opaque glass form the turtle, contrasting with the medium blue streaky glass used for the sea.

The Sea Turtle window is handcrafted using the copper foil (Tiffany) method. Each piece of glass, used in the piece is individually cut and ground to size, and the edges are dressed. The edges of each piece are wrapped in copper foil, which is then burnished. The glass pieces are soldered together, the frame is affixed, and the hangers and chain are affixed. After inspection and cleaning a black patina is applied, and then polished. As the final step, each window is thoroughly cleaned and waxed.

The turtle window panel measures 11-1/2″ x 9″ and is ready to hang.

Each window panel is a unique work of art; the images shown are a general representation of the finished item, but colors will vary slightly.