Archibald Knox

Liberty Silver Sketch Book, Westminster City Archives, London, n.d., p.78, no. 500/85
Stephen A. Martin, ed., Archibald Knox, London, 1995, p. 83 (for the model with enamel and blister pearls)
Adrian J. Tilbrook, The Designs of Archibald Knox for Liberty & Co, London, 2000, p. 168, fig. 157 (for the model with enamel and blister pearls)
Stephen A. Martin, Archibald Knox, London, 2001, p. 245 (for the model with enamel and blister pearls)

Overall in very good condition. The metal surfaces present with very fine and faint scratches and minor oxidation throughout. One of the handles is bent gently upwards, stable and as visible in the catalogue illustration. The base with a few shallow indentations, and one corner with a very minor loss to the metal, as visible in the catalogue illustration. Two or possibly three corners have been professionally and sensitively resoldered, as partially visible in the catalogue illustration. An extremely rare form with only three known examples in existence.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This rare form, which is one of only three known extant examples, also reflects Knox’s love of the Celtic incised stones of Man.  Rather than employing the cruciform silhouette of his cross clock (lot 74), Knox’s design for this biscuit box is more redolent of rectangular stones perhaps having lost their flanges from centuries of winds and rain. Like Manx stones, Knox reinforces the box’s stately volume with lyrical outlines and entrelacs.  He then caps it with a double-hinged lid with ear-like thumb elements, which add charm and mystery to its functionality.  Of additional importance, this box foreshadows Knox’s later designs for gravestones from the last two decades of his creative activity after he returned to the island from London in 1912.  Usually rectangular in conception, these monumental stones are among the crowning artistic achievements of his post-Liberty years.  Like this biscuit box, the Knox's gravestone designs are powerful silhouettes are reinforced by sinuous entrelac laden incised fields for names and dates, creating dramatic memorials.