Art: Canterbury Cycle

Canterbury Cathedral’s in-again-out-again medieval windows are on their way in again. The precious pieces of stained glass were painstakingly removed during World War I, buried out of harm’s way. (No 20th-century glassworkers could duplicate the Canterbury windows, thought to have come from the studios of Chartres during the 13th Century.) Putting them back was a time-consuming task, and the last priceless piece was leaded into place just in time to be taken out again for World War II. Last week the replacement process began, again, as skilled workers fixed the first piece in its proper setting. Said a BBC commentator: “It will take a long time . . . there are not many craftsmen left who can cope with it.”