The Tiffany Windows at Saint James Church represent a miniature "Tiffany Museum" of some his finest work. The works are examples of Louis Comfort Tiffany's craft, from the late nineteenth century up through 1929 (Tiffany died in 1933).
Tiffany was very proud of the windows commissioned for Saint James, and four of them were included in his own published partial lists of his work,. (The final two windows were commissioned after his last published listing, which was issued in 1910) The church was featured in a February 2008 episode of "Great Masters of Art: Louis Comfort Tiffany" (Bi no kyojintachi) on Tokyo TV. The program has generated significant interest in Japan, and Saint James is happy to wish many visitors a very earnest "Irrasshaimase!"
The windows show Tiffany's characteristic techniques to good advantage:
- the many layers of glass used to produce effects of light and shadow
- the limitation of the use of paint and enamel to faces and hands
- the use of inclusions and other shards of material within the glass to give it added texture ("confetti" glass and "jewels")
- the scuplting of drapery in three dimensions to give added depth to clothing and objects, and
- the use of many textures and shapes of glass to make the windows play in the changing light through the course of the day.