I am insanely excited to share this custom transom window that was completed and installed in record time! Thanks to the sweetest clients ever, I've had the opportunity to learn about these amazing glass tiles.
Incorporated in the 81 pieces that make up this 14 1/2 x 31 1/2 interior transom are Luxfer Prisms designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1895 FLW designed and patented 41 different designs. Of the 41 designs, the “flower” pattern was the only pattern that was produced by Luxfer. Prism glass tiles - with the saw tooth pattern on the back side - were typically used in commercial storefront transom windows to light the interior rooms; reducing the need for artificial light at a time when electric lighting wasn’t widely available.
When originally created, the tiles were clear, but prolonged exposure to sunlight causes a reaction with the manganese oxide that was used in the manufacturing process, causing the glass to turn amethyst in color. This window’s inspiration was drawn from the work of FLW and the Prairie School and the Arts and Crafts movement. Featured in this transom are the Flower and Teardrop tiles.
