page_title: Powis Castle
section_title: Clive of India’s Cat
hierarchical_section_title: Powis Castle / Notable features / Clive of India’s Cat
caption_attribution_description: English: Powis Castle, Puoti Castle, terraced gardens, Powys, Wales.
context_page_description: Powis Castle is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion near Welshpool, in Powys, Wales.
  The castle has also been known as Castell Coch, Castell Pool, Castell Pola, Castell Pole, Castell Trallwng, Red Castle, Redde Castle and Castel Cough.
  The seat of the Earl of Powis, the castle is known for its extensive, attractive formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deerpark and landscaped Estate. The unusual spelling of Powis, with an 'i' instead of a 'y' as in the county spelling, derives from the Herbert family's title as Lord, and later Earl of Powis. Powis is a shortened version of the Latinised spelling of the Welsh Powys.
  The castle is the ancestral home of the Herbert family, with connections to the Clive family, though contrary to popular misconception Robert Clive never owned or lived at the castle. The property is under the care of the National Trust having been bequeathed to the organisation in 1952.
  Princess Victoria visited the castle as a child when her mother took her to tour England and Wales in 1832.
context_section_description: Displayed in the Long Gallery, the marble group of a cat and snake, is possibly Roman dating between 1st century BC and 2nd century AD, although it could date to the 18th century. Representations of cats are rare in Roman art and the Powis group is unique amongst surviving classical sculpture. Two similar compositions in mosaic are known, from Pompeii and at the Vatican Museum, but these both depict a cat attacking a bird.
  It seems most likely that the marble was purchased by Clive of India for his wife on his visit to Italy in 1774. The marble was quarried on the Greek island of Thasos and is distinctive for the large embedded crystals which make sculpting difficult.
caption: The castle and its terraces viewed from the south-east.
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