Glazed Screen

In 1868 the Gothic Revival architect William Burges started work on the 46-metre tall clock tower for Cardiff Castle. The castle, home to the 3rd Marquess of Bute, was subjected to significant alteration and expansion during the second half of the 19th century, overseen by Burges until his death in 1881. The clock tower included a suite of bachelor rooms, including a two-storey summer smoking room. The summer smoking room has recently been restored and boasts one of the most important 19th-century interiors in Britain. Burges designed twenty pieces of furniture for the room, including this decorative glass fire screen. Cardiff Castle has now reacquired sixteen pieces at auction, after many were sold by the 5th Marquess of Bute in 1949.