UNIQUE furniture designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh that was saved from the blaze which tore through the Glasgow School of Art is to return to public display.

The treasures of the Art School's collection were carried from the burning building by firemen battling the blaze that broke out in May last year, and have been kept in storage for the last seven months.

The artworks were part of the furniture gallery in the Mackintosh building's east wing and were among the highlights of the guided tours which attracted thousands of visitors to the iconic school each year.

Among the 20 pieces on display are chairs from the Willow tea rooms and the Art School itself, a bookcase from the Windyhill house in Kilmacolm and a cabinet thought to be one of the few items which the architect and artist decorated with his own hand.

The collection, which is housed in the Art School's Reid building, also includes two rarely seen panels by mackintosh's wife Margaret McDonald, and an innovative 'master' electronic clock which once kept time for all the others in the building using an electronic pulse.

Peter Trowles, GSA Mackintosh curator, said that the timepieces would have been at the cutting edge of technology in their day.

He said: "It is widely recognised that Charles Rennie Mackintosh's design for the Glasgow School of Art was unique and innovative, not only the physical building but the fixtures, fittings and furniture as well.

"What's special about the system is that before its installation all the clocks had to be wound up and adjusted every week. With this state of the art system all the clocks mpved together meaning they were all accurate."

The Mackintosh building has been closed since the fire, with the east wing currently shrouded in scaffolding and tarpaulin.

An announcement on is expected to be made in March naming the firm of architects who have been chosen to carry out the £30m restoration, and it is hoped that students could return as early as 2017.

Behind the scenes, forensic work has been carried out to sift through the ashes of the art nouveau library, which was destroyed by the fire, to identify how best to rebuild its world-famous interior.

Other items that survived the blaze include the Mackintosh's papers, including his watercolours and sketchbooks, along with the school's textiles collection, although these remain in storage.

Juliet Fellows-Smith, Tours Co-ordinator for the Glasgow School of Art, said: "The Mackintosh Room and furniture gallery were always highlights of the GSA Mackintosh Building tours.

"Although it has not been possible to visit the building since last May, we have still been able to offer special Mackintosh tours and are delighted that from this weekend we will also include a visit to this new gallery."