Astragal glazing is a method of fitting glass into the doors of bookcases, cabinets and windows using thin, moulded wooden bars known as astragals, which divide the glass into smaller panes and form a decorative pattern. In furniture the astragal is a narrow half-round moulding planted on the front of the door frame, with the individual glass panes set into rebates behind it.
The technique became fashionable in English furniture during the eighteenth century, when the high cost of large sheets of glass made smaller panes practical as well as decorative. Early Georgian designs tended to use simple rectangular grids, while Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton pattern books illustrated elaborate Gothic, lancet, ogee and geometric arrangements. Astragal glazing was especially popular on bureau bookcases, breakfront bookcases and display cabinets, and it was widely revived by Edwardian makers. When assessing a piece, examine the astragals for breaks and replacements and look for old glass with ripples or small bubbles. Replaced panes are common and are not a serious fault, but well-preserved original glazing, crisp mouldings and a balanced pattern add considerably to the appeal of a cabinet.
