Detail of the sundial designed by Archibald Knox estimated £4000-6000 at Roseberys.
Standing 3ft 6in (1.07m) high, it has an impressed mark to the base Designed and manufactured by Liberty & Co and unusually has a cast mark to the brass sundial Liberty & Co Ld. London.
The marked plate makes this a rare model. Estimated at £4000-6000, it is coming up for auction at Roseberys in South London on July 17.
A Liberty & Co terracotta Floralis pattern sundial designed by Archibald Knox c.1905. Estimate £4000-6000 at Roseberys' Design auction on July 17.
Archibald Knox
Archibald Knox (1864-1933) was one of the chief creative forces behind the highly successful Celtic Revival style in silver, pewter, textiles, ceramics and jewellery at the beginning of the 20th century. He was a remarkable designer who played a pivotal role in the Arts and Crafts, British Art Nouveau and Celtic Revival movements in Britain at the turn of the 20th century.
His striking designs were marketed by the luxury London retailers, Liberty & Co.
Detail of the sundial designed by Archibald Knox. Estimate £4000-6000 at Roseberys.
In 1899 Knox began designing for Liberty, particularly the new Celtic design work such as the 'Cymric’ and ‘Tudric’ range. Liberty's Cymric catalogue stated: “The feature of this development is its complete breaking away from convention in the matter of design treatment”.
In addition to metalwork, jewellery, carpets, wallpaper and fabrics, Knox designed terracotta garden ornaments for Liberty with Mary Watts, of Compton Pottery fame.
Impressed mark to base on the Liberty & Co terracotta sundial designed by Archibald Knox c.1905. Estimate £4000-6000 at Roseberys.
Mary Watts and Compton Pottery
Compton Pottery was set up by Mary Seton Watts (1849-1938), wife of the famous painter George Watts (1817-1904). The couple had moved from London to the village of Compton in Surrey in the 1890s and Mary, finding clay deposits in the grounds of the house, started the pottery to give the poor of Compton employment. William de Morgan helped with the installation of the wood-fired kiln.
The pottery ran from 1899 to the mid-1950s, becoming a limited company in 1936.
Designers were recruited from George Watts's artistic circle of friends, and many top names such as Alfred Gilbert and Archibald Knox provided designs for garden ornaments, decorative pots and utensils. Wares were sold through Liberty, and the Guild's clientele included many eminent people. The pottery remained a successful industry, providing employment in the village until 1956.
The Celtic inspired pottery was offered for sale in Liberty & Co’s Yuletide Gifts catalogue of 1903-4.
