ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933) FOR LIBERTY & CO., LONDON
RARE CRUCIFORM 'TUDRIC' CLOCK, CIRCA 1902
£32,700
Auction: 11 October 2023 at 10:00 BST
Description
model 098, pewter, inlaid with abalone shell, stamped TUDRIC 098
Dimensions
37.5cm high
Footnote
Literature: Martin S. Archibald Knox, London 2001, pp.70-75, pp.70 and 235 illus.
Note: Knox’s work draws on the rich cultural heritage of his native Isle of Man. As with many of the larger clocks that are known to exist, their monumental forms are reminiscent of the standing Celtic stones which populate the island’s countryside, which Knox spent a lifetime exploring. The decoration in this example is stripped of superfluous ornament and is sparingly embellished with inlays of iridescent abalone shell. The soft sheen of its flat pewter surface is punctuated by the exuberant chapters, and the whole creates a stark and striking visual effect that signals a modernist and highly original approach to the design. This is a rare clock, one of the great clocks of Knox's 'Liberty Period' and one of only a handful known. It fulfils his desire to bring together two worlds which he valued deeply: the ancient Celtic tradition and the new, modern world of design, which was undergoing the development of a new and innovative aesthetic.