Design

Archibald Knox for Liberty & Co

17 September 2026

John Mackie

Few designers are as closely associated with Liberty & Co. at the turn of the twentieth century as Archibald Knox. Drawing on the ancient landscape and artistic traditions of his native Isle of Man, Knox developed a distinctive visual language that brought together Celtic Revival, Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau influences while anticipating aspects of Modernism.

Examples of Knox’s work for Liberty, including rare and important pieces from the celebrated Cymric and Tudric ranges, feature in our October 2026 edition of Design Since 1860.

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From the Isle of Man to Liberty of London

Born on the Isle of Man in 1864 to Scottish parents, Knox spent his formative years immersed in the island’s remarkable landscape and history. Its surviving Neolithic monuments, Celtic crosses and layers of Christian and Viking heritage would become enduring sources of inspiration.

By the late 1890s Knox had established a connection with the London retailer Liberty & Co. His arrival coincided with renewed enthusiasm for Celtic art and design in Britain, and he became a principal designer for two ranges through which Liberty responded to this growing interest: Cymric and Tudric.

Launched in 1899, Cymric was Liberty’s prestigious silver range. Its name, meaning “Welsh”, evoked Britain’s Celtic past, while its objects combined traditional craftsmanship with strikingly contemporary design. Pieces were individually hand-finished and many designs were produced only in relatively small numbers.

Tudric followed in 1901. Primarily executed in pewter, the use of moulds allowed these designs to be produced more widely and at a more accessible price point. Like Cymric, the range looked towards the past without simply reproducing it. Knox transformed historical motifs into an increasingly abstract and modern vocabulary.

Although his association with Liberty ended in 1912, the designs Knox created during this period established his lasting reputation. His work occupies a fascinating position at the intersection of Arts & Crafts, the Celtic Revival, Art Nouveau and the emerging language of twentieth-century Modernism.

The Covered Cup: Celtic Ornament Reimagined

Among the most remarkable Knox designs appearing in the October auction is a rare Cymric covered cup, one of only a small number of examples known.

Rather than appearing as a conventional vessel, the cup seems almost suspended above its stem. Slender silver branches connect the bowl to its base, giving the object an extraordinary sense of delicacy and vertical movement characteristic of Art Nouveau.

The enamel decoration looks further back, but Knox treats its Celtic sources with considerable freedom. The familiar language of interlace is loosened and abstracted into flowing waves and dots. It is characteristic of Knox’s approach: ancient forms are not copied but transformed into something distinctly modern.

Liberty generally did not identify individual designers in its catalogues or on its objects, meaning that Knox received limited public recognition for his work at the time. The covered cup provides a fascinating exception. When the design was illustrated in Der Moderne Stil in 1903, Knox was specifically credited as its designer — an unusual contemporary acknowledgement of his authorship.

ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933) FOR LIBERTY & CO., LONDON

RARE 'CYMRIC' COVERED CUP, 1900

silver, enamel, model 251, stamped to base CYMRIC/ L&CO, hallmarked Birmingham 1900, further hallmarked to cover Birmingham 1900, total weight 704g

26.5cm high, 14.8cm diameter at base

£30,000-50,000 + fee

The Cigarette Box: Silver, Enamel and Organic Form

A rare Cymric silver cigarette box in the auction demonstrates another aspect of Knox’s ability to transform relatively familiar Celtic and Art Nouveau motifs.

The box incorporates enamel and silver decoration, but its most distinctive feature lies in the relationship between the body and its base. Organic, sinuous supports lift the box above an expansive field of enamel, giving an otherwise solid object a surprising sense of weightlessness.

As with the covered cup, the design demonstrates how Knox could take the traditional materials and craftsmanship associated with luxury silver and use them to create objects of remarkable originality.

ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933) FOR LIBERTY & CO., LONDON

RARE 'CYMRIC' CIGARETTE BOX, 1901

silver, enamel, model 632, stamped to box CYMRIC/ L&CO, hallmarked Birmingham 1901, further hallmarked to cover and plinth base Birmingham 1901, total weight 876g

21.5cm wide, 6.5cm high, 13cm deep

£20,000 - 30,000 + fees

Tudric Clocks: From Ancient Monuments to Modernism

The monumental clocks produced for Liberty’s Tudric range include some of Knox’s most ambitious designs and perhaps reveal most clearly the originality of his vision.

The silhouette of standing stones and Celtic crosses against the Manx landscape has often been associated with the imposing form of clock model no. 098, represented in the October auction. Its strong verticality and architectural presence suggest how Knox could translate the ancient monuments of his upbringing into functional objects for a modern interior.

Other clock designs move still further towards abstraction. One example in the auction combines a dramatically elongated form with vertical panelling and square panels of inlaid abalone. The resulting composition is strikingly spare and geometric.

Such designs invite comparison with the contemporary work of Glasgow architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh. In 1903, Mackintosh was completing his celebrated Willow Tea Rooms in Glasgow, whose interiors similarly explored elongated proportions, geometry and repeated square motifs. Rather than suggesting direct influence, the comparison places Knox within a broader moment in British design when ornament was increasingly being distilled into line, proportion and geometry.

ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933) FOR LIBERTY & CO., LONDON

LARGE 'TUDRIC' CLOCK, MODEL NO. 095, CIRCA 1902-05

pewter and abalone, stamped maker's marks TUDRIC/ 095

34.4cm high

£20,000 - 30,000 + fees

The Olaf Clock: An Early Knox Design

Dating from 1898, the Olaf table clock is among Knox’s earliest clock designs and was included in a Liberty catalogue of 1900.

Its name provides an intriguing connection to the designer’s Manx heritage. Olaf was the name of a twelfth-century King of the Isles, a kingdom that included the Isle of Man, strengthening the association of the design with Knox.

Yet visually the clock is notably different from the Celtic ornament for which he would become best known. Its substantial base and strongly defined vertical panels have an architectural directness more closely aligned with the principles of the Arts & Crafts movement.

Seen alongside Knox’s later work, the Olaf clock also demonstrates the breadth of his design vocabulary. Celtic history provided an important source of inspiration, but it did not define the limits of his work.

ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933) FOR LIBERTY & CO., LONDON

'CYRMIC' 'OLAF' TABLE CLOCK, 1898

silver, the enamel dial painted with roman numerals, hallmarked London 1898, stamped maker's marks L&CO, CYMRIC

9.5cm high

£3,000-5,000 + fees

Specialist

John Mackie

Director, Head of Design

Designers & Makers

Archibald Knox

British 1864 - 1933