Jewellery, Watches and Objects of Vertu

A fire opal set necklace, attributed to Archibald Knox, circa 1900-1904, the central cushion-shaped fire opal enclosed by diamond points, within a bridge of Celtic entrelacs, suspending two knife-edge batons below, spaced with rose-cut diamond highlights and terminating with oval mixed-cut fire opals drops, (drops later replaced), the pendant suspended from similar knife-edge bars above, on trace-link back chain, unmarked, with later added ring bolt clasp and safety chain, contained in later fitted case, pendant length 6cm. £1600-2000

This pendant is very similar to a design by Knox, Model No 9150, set with aquamarines and mounted in platinum, sold at Phillips Auctioneers in New Bond Street, 9 July 1996, The lot was illustrated in Archibald Knox, by Stephen A Martin, page 257 and the same piece was later offered for sale at Bonhams Knowle, Decorative Arts Sale, No 12000, 24th May 2006. (See inset image).

Archibald Knox (1864-1933), born and trained on the Isle of Man, came to London in the late 1890s, and was to become the principal silver and pewter designer for Liberty & Co from 1899-1912. Steeped in the Celtic tradition of design from his Manx upbringing, he refined and purified the Celtic style to portray a personal version of Celtic ornament which was to become idiosyncratic with his style. His Cymric and Tudric designs became market leaders for Liberty’s. The Liberty company policy of enforced anonymity of its designers may have been a welcome rule to Knox, being a shy man, of ‘personal modesty’, who, during the height of the craze for Liberty’s Celtic Revival Style, left London, preferring to work from his studio on the Isle of Man between the years 1900-1904, and sending his designs, drawn on paper, to London by post to be translated into metal by craftsmen in Birmingham. This long distance arrangement appeared to have suited all concerned parties, probably because of Knox’s solid and reliable record and Arthur Lasenby Liberty’s trust in his work.

By 1908-9, the demand for Liberty’s Celtic Revival style began to subside, and by 1910, the movement in England was essentially over. After 1912, Knox ceased to work for Liberty’s, moving overseas to Philadephia.

See: Archibald Knox, by Stephen A Martin, published by ArtMedia Press, 2001.