Trysorau Cymreig / Welsh Treasures: Object of the Month Displays
1st April - 18th October 2026
Location: Mount Stuart
Trysorau Cymreig / Welsh Treasures: Object of the Month Displays
Welsh Treasures: Nantgarw 'Macintosh' Bird Service Dessert Plates (b01332). © Hayley McGuire for The Bute Collection at Mount Stuart
The Bute Collection at Mount Stuart contains a remarkable array of items that tell the story of the Bute family’s deep-rooted history in Wales. From exquisite artworks crafted by important Welsh artists to treasures commissioned for iconic Welsh castles, these displays offer a unique window into Mount Stuart’s Celtic connections.
Our returning series of Object of the Month displays are particularly personal this season. In October 2025, a group of Mount Stuart’s staff and members of our Guiding Team - the voices who bring the House and Gardens to life for our visitors - travelled to Wales to explore Mount Stuart’s historic Welsh links first-hand with our friends at Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch. Inspired by our visit, the Guides have chosen their favourite Welsh items from the Bute Collection to be shared monthly throughout our 2026 season.
Pictured is an exquisitely decorated plate from one of the renowned 'Macintosh' Services that were commissioned by Mortlocks to be created using fine Nantgarw porcelain.
For those who want to dive deeper into the craftsmanship and history behind each displayed selection, enhanced details and images will be available on Mount Stuart’s Bloomberg Connects Digital Guide each month too - diolch yn fawr!
April: Nantgarw 'Mackintosh' Bird Service Dessert Plates
These charming dessert plates represent the pinnacle of Welsh ceramic production by Nantgarw China Works. Renowned for an exceptional translucency that rivalled the finest Sèvres soft-paste porcelain, Nantgarw-ware was the preferred canvas for the most ambitious and accomplished London decorators in the early 19th century.
May: The Bute Docks Oak Tree
Recovered from the depths of a construction site that would change the course of Welsh history, this enigmatic plank of wood is a reminder of when Cardiff’s ancient past was unearthed to make way for its industrial future.
Read more about The Bute Collection at Mount Stuart's Trysorau Cymreig / Welsh Treasures on our Digital Guide, and discover the Bute Docks Oak Tree in person at Mount Stuart House this May.
All photography by © Hayley Louise McGuire
