- 375
Archibald Knox
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 USD
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Description
- Archibald Knox
- A Rare "Cymric" Presentation Cup and Cover
- impressed CYMRIC/L&Co (partial) with Birmingham Assay Office marks, engraved "Ba Ba"presentation stand with ivorine plaque signed LIBERTY & CO. LTD/REGENT ST. LONDON.
- hammered silver, hardstone cabochon, mahogany
- 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm) high overall
with three handles and original presentation stand
Provenance
John Jesse, London
Private Collection, United States
Christie’s New York, The Maurice & Margo Cohen Collection, June 11, 1999, lot 362
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Private Collection, United States
Christie’s New York, The Maurice & Margo Cohen Collection, June 11, 1999, lot 362
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Literature
Mervyn Levy, Liberty Style, The Classic Years, 1898-1910, London, 1986, p. 91 (for the model without its cover)
Stephen A. Martin, ed., Archibald Knox, London, 1995, p. 80
Adrian J. Tilbrook, The Designs of Archibald Knox for Liberty & Co, London, 2000, p. 155, fig. 142 (for the model without its cover)
Stephen A. Martin, Archibald Knox, London, 2001, p. 180
Stephen A. Martin, ed., Archibald Knox, London, 1995, p. 80
Adrian J. Tilbrook, The Designs of Archibald Knox for Liberty & Co, London, 2000, p. 155, fig. 142 (for the model without its cover)
Stephen A. Martin, Archibald Knox, London, 2001, p. 180
Condition
Overall in very good condition. The metal surfaces with very fine and faint scratches and minor oxidation. The opening of the cup is slightly out of round. The side of one leg with a slightly deeper scratch which measures approximately 1/4 inch. The wooden base with minor scattered scuffs and shallow indentations concentrated to the top surface and lower edges. The original velvet on the underside of the vase is lifting slightly along one edge. A very rare and stunning model that masterfully combines restraint and dynamism in its details.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
This monumentally conceived vase is one of two examples of this form is known to exist and the only one with its cover. The rarity of this piece is enhanced by it's original base. It's most distinguishing quality, however, is its expression of Man’s "spirit of place." Its size, upwardly sweeping silhouette, organic looping feet anchored by entrelacs and almost jaunty, hat-like cover bring to mind the supernatural beings or spirits that can be found in the folklore of the island. This vase has the presence of a sentient being, alive but from another realm, its smooth surface reflecting the outer world while also drawing us in to its world through two strategically placed turquoise keyholes. This is Knox at his most "Manx modern," abstracting form that captures myth and folktale.