Glass tiles have been in manufacture since about 3rd century BC, from the reign of Asoka. Though glass-making techniques have improved since then, the application of this material has been restricted to ornamentation, with pottery and metals being preferred for domestic wares.

Glassware will enjoy a brief sojourn under Mughal patronage, when dishes, spittoons and flat-bottomed vessels will be produced by Persian glass blowers. But this material will find permanent place in the Indian kitchen only much later, in the 20th century. And even then, its use will be limited to the dinner table and storage shelves.

Brands such Yera, Borosil and Corelle will find favour with middle classes; but the invention of temperature-resistant glass will be the true game-changer. Borosil will collaborate with Corning Glass Works USA in 1962 and manufacture oven-to-table cookware. Their success will be such that by the era of microwave cooking, any modern kitchen will be inconceivable without glassware.

Chai Glasses
Designer: Unknown
Year: Unknown

Glassware by Moosa Omer & Co.: Advertisement in the Times of India Annual, 1939 Image Courtesy: Abigail McGowan, University of Vermont