Born on the Isle of Man in 1864, Knox was deeply inspired by the Island’s natural beauty and its unique Celtic and Norse heritage. His intricate designs, marked by complex interlace patterns, reflect these influences. After studying and teaching at the Douglas School of Art, he left the Island to teach art in London, where his professional association with The Silver Studio and Liberty & Co. would mark a turning point in his career. His beautiful designs and Liberty's reputation as a defining force in fashionable good taste created a match made in heaven. Knox became a pioneer of modern design, blending the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, and Celtic Revival into a distinctive style.

Stamped with the earliest known hallmark for Liberty’s Cymric range (1898), this small pepper castor appears in the first Liberty Cymric catalogue, under the name Thorian (a Norse reference to Thor). This piece is a direct link between Archibald Knox, the Silver Studio, and the early Liberty Cymric collection. The terms Cymric and Tudric were the brand names given by Liberty to their silverware and pewterware ranges. Both names were chosen to reflect a general sense of Celticness and heritage. Archibald Knox was the lead designer for both ranges.

By 1900, Knox was designing exclusively for Liberty, whose search for a distinctively British style aligned perfectly with his Celtic-inspired motifs. Returning to the Isle of Man, Knox focused on design full-time. Over the next five years, he produced thousands of homeware and jewellery designs for Liberty’s Cymric and Tudric ranges, always balancing beauty with function. Despite being one of the most prolific and innovative designers of his era, Knox remained largely unknown, as Liberty's policy of not naming their designers suited his preference for working anonymously. His legacy has only been recognised in the last forty years.

This cruciform clock is one of a series of large pieces designed by Knox, now known as the 'great clocks'. The overall shape and design shows the influence of the Isle of Man’s carved medieval stone crosses. The clock is strikingly modern in form, lacking any art nouveau decoration. It is extremely likely that this dramatic example of early 20th century design, a modern classic at the time, was designed when Knox was living in a small cottage in Sulby on the Isle of Man. Significantly this was the one time in his life when he was able to totally dedicate his time to design work.

This exceptional design by Archibald Knox reinterprets the traditional chalice or covered cup form for the 20th century. The cup rests on organic, fluid stems, and the silver is adorned with waves of enamel. The influence of Japanese design is evident, alongside stylistic elements that reflect the work of Charles Ashbee, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement. Ashbee, who founded the Guild of Handicraft in 1889, was known for his silver designs from the 1890s onward. The enamel work on the cup is thought to evoke strands of seaweed, further connecting the piece to nature.

Archibald Knox designed this brooch in the early 1900s for the Liberty Cymric jewellery range. Liberty & Co. launched its jewellery department in 1883, initially selling Oriental and antique pieces. By the 1890s, they began producing their own designs. The Cymric range of jewellery was introduced in 1899, with Knox’s distinctive designs with sinuous lines and unusual choice of gemstones. Drawing inspiration from both the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements, Knox’s jewellery designs prominently features Celtic interlace patterns.

This stunning, large, gold pendant is set with purple, blue green opal plaques and Celtic knot shoulders. Some people believe the cloisonne opal, or mosaic opal, genre represents some of Knox’s best jewellery designs, and within that genre, this pendant is one of the most striking.

A strikingly modern silver vase. The vase is embossed with a classic geometric Celtic design highlighted with classic blue green Liberty enamels, tending to purple towards the base. The top of the vase is a contrasting play of yellow, green and orange enamels. The base of the vase shows a similar geometric Celtic design with three inset blue green enamels.

An extremely rare silver and enamel clock, which is of a previously unrecorded design. The clock has a two train eight-day movement by A.D. Mougin, striking on two coils, the high fired enamel dial with Roman numeral XII, V and motto TIME ENOUGH, the lancet case with shaped apron, on bracket feet. This piece was only rediscovered in August 2024.

An ornamental earthenware garden pot or jardinière, with green-blue glaze and incised and moulded Celtic design. The jardinière was designed by Archibald Knox and produced by Carter & Co. (forerunner of Poole Pottery) for Liberty & Co. of London. The design name was The Brunhild.

Original watercolour design by Archibald Knox, featuring interlacing buds and leaves. This design showcases Knox’s design work in the Arts and Crafts style. Probably created during his time with the Silver Studio, these designs were likely intended for textile products sold by Liberty. It is estimated that Knox produced over 5,000 designs for Liberty, demonstrating his incredible versatility as a designer.

This communion dish was a personal gift from Archibald Knox to his friends in Sulby, where he lived and owned property from 1902 to 1905. The dish features a striking black opal and the embossed lettering 'Sulby' on its rim. The opal changes colour with every slight change of angle and is a truly magnificent, one-off piece. It was manufactured by Liberty & Co. as a special commission.

The only known surviving examples of furniture designed by Archibald Knox were likely produced at the Sunnyside Workshops in Douglas, which he co-founded with his friend and patron, Wilson James-Ashburner, in 1899. The arts and craft style workshops aimed to rival the renowned enterprises of the late William Morris, employing skilled artisans to create fine works in wood and metal. Knox designed furniture pieces are now exceptionally rare.

This writing desk was a wedding gift from Archibald Knox to his close friend and fellow Manx artist, Alfred James Collister. It was designed by Archibald Knox and made at the Sunnyside Workshops on the Isle of Man by cabinet maker Jospeh Cannell. The desk has a fold down writing surface and a small compartment decorated with the initials A J C 1901 and a gilded Celtic interlace pattern. The rear of the cupboard doors are decorated with Celtic interlace designs and are gilded. Inside the double doors are three small, mahogany-fronted drawers. The sides of the desk are also decorated with Celtic motifs.

This atmospheric piece from the large collection of Archibald Knox watercolours held at the Manx Museum shows a track leading out of a quarry, with two whitewashed cottages in the distance surrounded by trees. The dramatic sky completes a fleeting moment captured by Knox forever.

A watercolour view by Archibald Knox (b.1864-d.1933) of the whitewashed buildings at the Kella Mill, Sulby. Unlike most of his watercolour paintings which are untitled and unidentified views of the Manx landscape, Knox has written a title and date on the painting in his distinctive and intricate script 'KELLYA, VIII. 03'. For most of his working life, Knox worked both as an art teacher and as a designer, but from 1902-1905 he lived in a cottage in Sulby on the Isle of Man and there produced many of his world famous metalwork designs for Liberty.

An atmospheric watercolour landscape by Archibald Knox (1864-1933) depicting the rolling Manx hills with a view of trees in the far distance. Knox identified this as 'Knockaloe', a farm on the west of the Island which was used as the site for a large civilian internment camp during the First World War. Knox knew the area well because he worked as a censor at the camp from 1915 to 1919:

‘The camp might have been a delightful place if everything had not been seen through a 10 foot high fence of barbed wire…you may imagine how the clouds came into the landscape, so near, so full of form and colour every dawn.’ Archibald Knox, November 1919.

The painting attempts to capture the broad panoramic views of the Island's landscape with the gently rolling hills and the broad expanse of sky above them. Knox was known for his keen observation of nature, often braving heavy rain showers to capture the perfect moment of a cloudburst, demonstrating his deep connection to the ever-changing skies around him.

‘Clouds of morning, clouds of evening, clouds of the north, clouds of the sea, Manx clouds, low, broken, torn fragments of vaster skies, of vastness’ revealed here hardly once, like Botticelli's mighty vault not once in a lifetime’. Archibald Knox, 1893.

Archibald Knox lived on the South Quay opposite Old St Matthew’s Church for most of his early life. In this rare, surviving oil painting he has captured a muted sense of the hustle and bustle of the Douglas market with people wandering around its stalls. The figures are rendered as indistinct shadows with little or no definite form. Knox has transformed what would have been an extremely well-known local scene into something less familiar and more akin to a Dutch or northern European street market. Old St Matthew’s Church, Douglas is characterized by dark, dense brushwork, with thick oil paint applied in textured strokes.

Archibald Knox returned to live permanently on the Isle of Man in 1913, experiencing a creative resurgence that produced a diverse range of works from illuminated addresses to memorials and graphic designs. His uniquely Manx style of lettering and decoration played a pivotal role in the Island's early 20th century cultural revival, and his work continues to have a strong influence on the Isle of Man today.

The Deer's Cry is a beautiful example of Archibald Knox’s illuminated lettering showcasing his mastery of Celtic-inspired design. The pages reflect Knox’s deep Christian faith and fascination with early Celtic art. The text is an interpretation of ‘St. Patrick’s Hymn’ or ‘The Deer’s Cry’, a traditional prayer attributed to St. Patrick. Knox’s work combines intricate interlacing patterns, inspired by Manx crosses and Celtic manuscripts, with subtle, delicate colours. The designs are poetic and fluid, often requiring careful study to decipher their intricate lettering. Each page stands as a unique composition, blending freedom of expression with masterful balance.

This Freemason jewel was designed by Archibald Knox and presented to the founder of the Conister Lodge in Douglas, Isle of Man. The jewel was later converted into a brooch and hand-painted with an image of the Tower of Refuge on Conister Rock. Knox was a member of the Fraternity of Freemasonry on the Isle of Man, belonging to the Spencer Walpole Lodge. He was listed as an 'Almoner', a role that involved visiting sick members.

This illustration was created for Sophia Morrison’s Manx Fairy Tales (1929). Knox and Morrison, both celebrated figures in Manx culture, were close friends, and he generously gifted the book illustrations to her. This image accompanies the story Tehi Tegi and demonstrates his sense of humour. In this piece the Tehi Tegi is illustrated with a glamorous 1920s flapper lady being pursued by a crowd of admirers in evening suits rather than the more traditional mermaid and her fishermen. The complete set of illustrations is housed in the Manx National Heritage collections.

Archibald Knox designed many memorial stones, all drawing inspiration from the Island’s medieval carved crosses. His distinctive grave memorials and war memorials, recognisable for their unique design and lettering, are located Island-wide. Knox worked mainly with Douglas stone mason and sculptor Thomas Quayle, and later with his son and grandson. Knox’s designs, often featuring intricate interlacing, evoke the original Manx crosses. Though Knox never designed a headstone for himself, one of his designs was ultimately used. The headstone reads: "Here lies Archibald Knox, Artist…A humble servant of God in the ministry of the beautiful."