New £10m Wedgwood museum unveiled

Artist's impression of the Wedgwood House of Treasures

A museum featuring ceramics produced by Josiah Wedgwood is being unveiled.

The £10m Wedgwood House of Treasures in Barlaston, Staffordshire, will house 6,000 Wedgwood artefacts, 75,000 manuscripts and 680 pattern books.

It also features rare items including two of the four remaining First Day's Vases, a Portland vase and Slave Medallions.

The museum, which features pieces on display for the first time in years, will open to the public in August.

Josiah Wedgwood was born in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in 1730.

First Day's Vases is the name given to six vases thrown by Josiah Wedgwood on a potters wheel turned by his business partner Thomas Bentley at the company's works in Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent.

His Slave Medallions were created to support the movement of the abolition of the slave trade.