Archibald Knox Pewter Clock Art Nouveau Design | Silver Colour 13.5cm H | Made in England | AK36

Product Information

Mr. Knox's system of teaching was essentially his own. Instead of insisting on the English method of art education by making laborious copies of scraps of museum specimens of 'styles' he made at his own expense three thousand lantern slides, illustrating works of art from prehistoric times down to the gipsy caravans of to-day, showing how Art was produced by the workman in the joy of using his chisel or hammer. To you of MANNIN it will be interesting to know that he gave lectures on your grey thatched homes, your churches, and your crosses, making us love them as if they were our own." [28] Arthur Lasenby Liberty's grave at St John the Baptist Churchyard, The Lee – Archibald Knox". www.archibaldknoxforum.com . Retrieved 18 October 2023. Bernbaum, Anthony (June 2014). "Archibald Knox: Beauty and Modernity, a Designer Ahead of His Time" (PDF). Knox had an innovative method of teaching art: he collected a set of three thousand glass slides, of examples of design work, to show his students. While showing these he encouraged the students to consider the design principles involved in each, and whether the design met the functional requirements. [27]

W.H. Haseler of Birmingham, a firm of manufacturing goldsmiths and jewellers, manufactured the 'Tudric' range. The firm had formed a partnership with Liberty's in May 1901 to manufacture the 'Cymric' range of silver and jewellery, which Liberty had launched in 1899.In the early 20th century, the popularity of pewter was revived with the introduction of the Art Nouveau styles of Liberty's Tudric range. Knox had a profound and intertwining interest in the natural world and landscape, the spiritual life, and the history and art of the Isle of Man and particularly the early Celtic Christian Church. He described this connection in his illuminated 1913 poem "Renshent", written about an early Celtic Christian keeill (chapel) on the Isle of Man. [29] Pewter is a malleable alloy, composed largely of tin with antimony, bismuth, copper and silver. Relatively cheap, it was known as ‘poor man’s silver’, and was very popular at the turn of the century amongst those looking for affordable yet modern pieces for their homes. Liberty’s Tudric range was respected as good quality pewter, with a higher than average proportion of silver. It can be found either polished or left with a dull matte patina. The other area to be careful of is enamels – this is of course a wider issue than for Knox. Beware “soft” (otherwise called cold) enamel restoration or outright augmentation. There is nothing wrong with restoration (augmentation is another matter) with soft enamels, but you should know what you are buying. A good UV torch will normally reveal all. Also look out for enamel onto pewter. You cannot enamel directly onto pewter, it has too low a melting point, so Liberty inserted enamelled copper roundels.

The 15th and 16th centuries are described as the Golden Age for pewter manufacture, a time when even grand houses used pewter as well as silver for domestic use and a time which preceded the introduction of mass-produced ceramic wares, which ultimately replaced pewter, especially plates and drinking vessels. For the true Archibald Knox connoisseur, there is a wide range of other areas that Knox turned his hand to. Typically these items are much rarer. Knox’s first commercial designs were for textiles when he worked for the Silver Studio in around 1897. Occasionally his fabrics or wallpaper designs can be identified and come up for sale. From the Isle of Man itself, Knox did occasional furniture designs, often for himself, or other metalwork. I recently sold an amazing sundial pointer he designed that was cast on the Island in 1905. Prices in this category vary hugely but anything substantial and unequivocally by Knox from the Isle of Man itself will typically be many thousands. Chronology: Archibald Knox 1864-1933". Archived from the original on 25 February 2016 . Retrieved 14 April 2016.

Refine your search

So when one thinks of collecting Archibald Knox you may want to start by thinking what of his many design or artistic areas you wish to focus on, which in turn may be dictated by budget. In 1897 Knox began working for the Silver Studio, who were designing for Liberty. [22] In 1899 he left with Collister for the Kingston School of Art. [21] Knox starting teaching at Douglas School of Art in 1884, while still a student. The Arts and Crafts architect Baillie Scott started classes at the Art School while Knox was teaching there, and Knox worked with him on some interiors. [17] [18]

The designs for the 'Tudric' range, as with Liberty's 'Cymric' range of silver and jewellery, were supplied by the Silver Studio. The Studio had offices in Brook Green, Hammersmith, London. Attributing individual designs of Liberty's wares to particular designers was hampered by Liberty's policy of concealing their identities. Nonetheless, subsequent research has identified the principal contributors. From the Silver Studio they included Rex Silver (1879-1965), the head of the Studio after 1896, his brother Harry Silver (1882-1972), Harry Napper (1860-1930) and John Illingworth Kay. The most prominent, however, was Archibald Knox, a gifted designer from the Isle of Man who started working for the Studio in 1898. Knox has been described as modest and monk-like: "almost Cistercian in his silence". [38] He has also been described as gruff and stubborn. However, he did have close friendships, such as with Canon Quine [15] and A. J. Collister. He was an active member of various societies such as the Isle of Man Antiquarian Society and the Freemasons. He was a sidesman at his local high Anglican Church, St Matthew's. [26] He also wrote a number of articles in journals to communicate his ideas.From 1900 Archibald Knox lived for some years on Isle of Man but returned to London, where he taught at various art colleges. In 1911 Archibald Knox joined some of his former students in founding Knox Guild of Craft and Designs, which was in existence until 1939. In 1912 Archibald Knox spent a year in the US and designed carpets for Bromley & Co. In 1913 Archibald Knox returned to the Isle of Man, where he spent most of his time painting. Anscombe, Isabelle (1988). "An Outpost of the Arts and Crafts Movement". The Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts. 8: 80–87. doi: 10.2307/1503971. JSTOR 1503971– via JSTOR.