It could be a survival from something like the Manchester town parade of 1832, always wondered if any of the elaborate items described survived, the sort of things you would not throw away, but then again would break too easy - like a glass wig.
Transcription from a document written by my 4x great-grandfather, supplied to the organisers of the parade:
A man bearing a Silk Flag motto W. Rex on the reverse “Success to the Glass Trade.”
Glass Blowers with glass hats decorated with ribbons & appropriate mottos inscribed viz “Old England For Ever” “Abolishion of all monopolies” “Success to the Town & Trade of Manchester” - accoutred with glass Swords.
Two large goblets carried by men adorned with rich superb spun glass wigs, one of them containing 10 Gallons - inscribed with the sentiment “10 Gallons bumper to the Happiness of the People” the other containing 7 Gallons with the popular inscription “Earl Grey and his Majestys Ministers” emblazoned in the centre with the Dove carrying the olive branch and on the reverse side “Old England For Ever”.
Two immensely large Lobby Lamps surmounted with Globes Silvered carried by men in Glass Wigs - one tastefully cut Vine & Grapes and the other beautifully painted Rose Thistle and Shamrock.
Fish Globe and Birdcage with a canary bird & fish swimming around.
Two large globes Silvered both ornamented with the crown and sceptre and on the reverse side of one “Long Life to the King” and on the other “Peace Reform & Retrenchment” - several glass crowns ornamented with neat silvered globes carried by the apprentices followed by the glass cutters with a Union Jack carried before them - 3 a breast each carrying a Blue Wand decorated with Red & Blue Ribbon bearing rich & various displays of ornamented glass.