Alice's Magic Box

Oeil-de-boeuf, French for bull's eye, is a term applied to a small oval window by a door to give light. Before homes had electricity this opening had many purposes. When the homes' shutters were closed, you could look through this opening to see who was at your door. The stone shelf where the cat is standing was an area to wash dishes (or yourself) in light. Water was brought from the river or a well and used there. The shelf had a hole for the dirty water to drain outside the house. It was also an area kept open to have fresh air inside the house. 

 

I have found bull's eye windows are still found in most of the stone houses in my village, as seen above by the entrance door in our neighbors home. You guessed it. It is a perfect location for stained glass.

 

Above are photos from my hand painted, air brushed, kiln fired, copper foiled stained glass window.