Q: This reverse-painted glass sign has been in my family since the early 1960s. It was given to my mother by a retired minister who brought this with him from Sweden. The words “Jag och mitt hus wilja tjena Herren” are printed on it. I can’t find any kind of information on it. Can you help?

 

A: The words are Swedish for “I and my house will serve the Lord,” a popular quote from the Bible. In reverse glass painting, the words or images are painted on the back of the glass and then the glass is turned over and framed. The technique was first used to paint religious items, including Byzantine icons, in the Middle Ages. There are collectors of vintage reverse-painted glass signs with pictures and slogans, but prices of reverse-glass items with only words sell for low prices.