ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933) Tudric Mantel Clockcirca 1902-1905model no. 095, pewter, mother of pearl, with French eight-day movement, base stamped 'TUDRIC 095', with keyheight 13 3/4in (35cm); width 7 1/4in (18.5cm); depth 4 1/8in (10.5cm)
ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933)
Tudric Mantel Clockcirca 1902-1905model no. 095, pewter, mother of pearl, with French eight-day movement, base stamped 'TUDRIC 095', with keyheight 13 3/4in (35cm); width 7 1/4in (18.5cm); depth 4 1/8in (10.5cm)
Among the two thousand or so designs that Archibald Knox created for Liberty & Co during their remarkable collaboration, there is a rare group of large pewter clocks. Called the 'great clocks', these few compelling objects feel special among Knox's other work. They are large and imposing, sparingly modern in conception, yet with a physical presence not unlike the Celtic standing stones on Knox's beloved Isle of Man. Perhaps the most marvelous of these is this deceptively simple clock, that exemplifies Knox's marriage of the ancient and modern. Knox constructs its front with a narrow panel flanked by two wider ones. In so doing, he balances the vertical thrust of pewter body while at the same time drawing the eye outward. The result is a resting monumentality with precise rectilinear areas that feels strongly modern. In it, there are similarities to other great modernist clock designs like the one created by C. R. Mackintosh for the Willow Tea Rooms, and those by Josef Hoffmann in the first years of the twentieth century. These artists privileged the square, rectangle and vertical, that have become hallmarks of modernity. Knox, however, reveals something deeper. By chasing the numerals on the lustrous metal and using abalone accents, he gives an organic softness to an abstract design, creating in the viewer an felt sense of intimacy with this special object. It transcends the inanimate; it has soul. There is no doubt that Archibald Knox was a great designer, but he was also a poet of the timeless, and this design is an embodiment of those two gifts.Dr. Stephen A. MartinMerion Station, PennsylvaniaThis clock will be illustrated in Dr. Martin's forthcoming book entitled "KNOX" due out in 2023.
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ARCHIBALD KNOX (1864-1933)
Tudric Mantel Clockcirca 1902-1905model no. 095, pewter, mother of pearl, with French eight-day movement, base stamped 'TUDRIC 095', with keyheight 13 3/4in (35cm); width 7 1/4in (18.5cm); depth 4 1/8in (10.5cm)
Among the two thousand or so designs that Archibald Knox created for Liberty & Co during their remarkable collaboration, there is a rare group of large pewter clocks. Called the 'great clocks', these few compelling objects feel special among Knox's other work. They are large and imposing, sparingly modern in conception, yet with a physical presence not unlike the Celtic standing stones on Knox's beloved Isle of Man. Perhaps the most marvelous of these is this deceptively simple clock, that exemplifies Knox's marriage of the ancient and modern. Knox constructs its front with a narrow panel flanked by two wider ones. In so doing, he balances the vertical thrust of pewter body while at the same time drawing the eye outward. The result is a resting monumentality with precise rectilinear areas that feels strongly modern. In it, there are similarities to other great modernist clock designs like the one created by C. R. Mackintosh for the Willow Tea Rooms, and those by Josef Hoffmann in the first years of the twentieth century. These artists privileged the square, rectangle and vertical, that have become hallmarks of modernity. Knox, however, reveals something deeper. By chasing the numerals on the lustrous metal and using abalone accents, he gives an organic softness to an abstract design, creating in the viewer an felt sense of intimacy with this special object. It transcends the inanimate; it has soul. There is no doubt that Archibald Knox was a great designer, but he was also a poet of the timeless, and this design is an embodiment of those two gifts.Dr. Stephen A. MartinMerion Station, PennsylvaniaThis clock will be illustrated in Dr. Martin's forthcoming book entitled "KNOX" due out in 2023.
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