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A pair of dirty windows bought on Facebook for less than £5,000 are set to sell for £200,000. Antiques hunter Paul Brown paid £4,800 for various items from a church set for demolition.
The salvage included the stained glass windows - which were discovered to be made by noted company Tiffany. Auctioneers Freeman's say the sale marks the first time a Tiffany Studios rose window has ever been offered at auction.
The company explain the twin roses of St. Paul were likely commissioned around 1904, completed in 1906, and supported in part by master merchant John Wanamaker, owner of the eponymous Philadelphia department store.
"The resulting windows feature leaded mottled, streaky, acid-etched, and ripple glass in vibrant hues," they add.
Mr. Brown, 56, saw the windows on Facebook Marketplace, and bought them along with wooden pews and doors.
He hired workers to sensitively extract the windows and, after confirming they were made by Tiffany Studios, reportedly paid £40,000 for restoration.
Tim Andreadis, Head of Freeman's 20th Century and Contemporary Design department, says: "This is such a rare and exciting market appearance. The intricacy of these works is stunning, and it's meaningful to bring to market pieces that have such a deep, meaningful history in Philadelphia."Stained-glass consultant Julie L. Sloan comments: "Tiffany Studios often used spectacular specimens of glass in their rose windows. Each one radiates the daily glory of light over earth."
Created by what Freeman's describe as "America's skillful and most famous art glass designer", the roses of St. Paul not only respond to the effects of the sun throughout the day, they also feature powerful symbolic imagery: one rose is centered by a crown (representing Christ), and the other a dove (representing the Holy Spirit).