A HISTORICAL privately owned glass collection has gone on public display for the first time at Broadfield House Glass Museum.
The collection was put together in the 1960s by Roger Pilkington, a distant relative of the Pilkington Lancashire glass manufacturers.
His main interest was in early 18th century colourless drinking glasses called balusters but there are glasses of all shapes and sizes on view at the Kingswinford museum, including a thimble-sized wine glass and a huge jeroboam, which would hold a gallon of ale.
Visitors will also see jelly dishes, dessert bowls and a rare example of a glass cake dish with intact glass cover and a syllabub glass shaped like an elephant’s head which requires the user to drink through what would be the trunk.
Councillor Tracy Wood, Dudley’s cabinet member for environment and culture, said: “We are really privileged to have this collection on loan and grateful to the Pilkington family for choosing Broadfield House Glass Museum as the first place to publicly display these pieces.
“Although this collection of 18th century glass will be of interest to specialists there’s a lot to enjoy for non-specialists too as so many of the pieces have quirky uses or reflect a fascinating period in history.”
The collection will be on display until August 2014.
