Cecil Higgins Art Gallery Website

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CECIL HIGGINS ART GALLERY

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NEW ACQUISITIONS

Cecil Higgins Art Gallery Acquires William Burges Zodiac Tiles

The Cecil Higgins Art Gallery is delighted to announce that it has purchased a 30 piece tile panel by the Gothic Revival designer William Burges.

The tile panel dated circa 1880, consists of twelve signs of the zodiac with eighteen border tiles of other designs. This panel is one of only three complete sets known to exist, the others being at Castell Coch in Cardiff and Mount Stewart on the Isle of Bute.

The Gallery purchased the tiles at Sotheby’s auction house in the selling exhibition ‘The Best of British, Design from the 19th and 20th Centuries. The acquisition was made possible with the aid of generous grants from the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund (£10,000) and The Art Fund, the UK’s leading independent art charity (£8,750).

mossaic The sale made the headlines, due to its association with Jimmy Page the Led Zeppelin guitarist who owns Tower House, a gothic style house designed by William Burges in 1877 for his own residence. The accompanying auction sold works from Page and Gary Kemp of Spandau Ballet’s private collections.

The tiles join one of the best collections of works by and relating to William Burges (1827-1881), outside London and Cardiff. The collection includes Burges’ own bed, dressing table and the ‘Narcissus’ washstand as well as a wardrobe and a zodiac themed bookcase. Smaller items include one of the tulip vases made for Cardiff Castle as well as a set of cutlery and a decanter designed and made for his one use.

William Burges (1827-81), was one of the leading exponents of the Gothic Revival. An architect and designer who counted among his patrons the Marquis of Bute, for whom he redesigned Cardiff Castle and built Castell Coch, examples of his furniture and metalwork designs can be seen in Cardiff, London and Chicago as well as Bedford.

crab Supporting the purchase Sonia Solicari (Curator, Ceramics and Glass Collection) from the Victoria and Albert Museum said:
‘The Cecil Higgins is the perfect collection with which to house this panel as it will enrich the already impressive holdings by Burges.’

The Gallery is currently undergoing a major refurbishment which will include the transformation of a unique hexagonal building from the 1800s into a stunning new Burges Gallery decorated in an authentic recreation of Burges’ style. The new space will house the entire Burges collection as well as pieces by other Gothic revival architects and designers, including tiles by Henry Holiday and A.W.N. Pugin. The Burges tiles are a considerable asset to the collection.

For a full press release please email chag@bedford.gov.uk