Search

A concrete cantilevered building against blue sky and green landscaping

A large green wall with oil paintings in gold frames above a tiled floor

A museum interior space with paintings and concrete walls and stairs

A concrete-walled lobby with windows, a tiled floor, and a circular desk

The top of a concrete spiral staircase with a wooden railing

A tall tree is the focal point of a garden in between two concrete buildings

About arrow_back

Admission for everyone is always free! Check here for current hours and more.

A concrete cantilevered building against blue sky and green landscaping

Collections arrow_back

The Johnson Museum holds more than 40,000 works in its collection from around the world.

A large green wall with oil paintings in gold frames above a tiled floor

Exhibitions arrow_back

Check out what’s on view this season at the Museum and look back through our history.

A museum interior space with paintings and concrete walls and stairs

Events arrow_back

Free events for everyone, plus special programs for students, families, and more!

A concrete-walled lobby with windows, a tiled floor, and a circular desk

Learn arrow_back

The Johnson Museum actively contributes to the intellectual life of our campus and community.

The top of a concrete spiral staircase with a wooden railing

Support arrow_back

Help the Johnson Museum continue its legacy by making a gift today.

A tall tree is the focal point of a garden in between two concrete buildings

Archibald Knox

(British, 1864–1933)

Coffee and tea set with tray

View All Works

Object Details

Artist

Archibald Knox

Date

1903

Medium

Pewter and cane

Dimensions

Part a (coffeepot, including lid): 6 × 7 inches (15.2 × 17.8 cm)
Part b (teapot, including lid): 4 1/2 × 10 inches (11.4 × 25.4 cm)
Part e (tray): 19 1/4 × 13 3/4 inches (48.9 × 34.9 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of Isabel and William Berley, Classes of 1947 and 1945

Object
Number

99.078.113 a-e

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis is a five-piece coffee and tea set with creamer and sugar bowl designed by Arc(…)

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis is a five-piece coffee and tea set with creamer and sugar bowl designed by Archibald Knox.WHERE WAS IT MADE?This was made in London, England.WHO WAS THE ARTIST?Archibald Knox designed this coffee and tea set for Liberty and Company. Knox was trained at the Douglas School of Art on the Isle of Man from 1878 to 1884 before moving to London in 1897. There he worked for the Silver Studio and taught at Redhill and Kingston Art Schools. His association with Arthur Lasenby Liberty, founder of Liberty and Company, began in 1901 when he designed a collection of silver and jewelry for the company. Knox became Liberty’s most outstanding creative artist, designing over 400 carpet, fabric, and metalwork designs between 1904 and 1912. He resigned from his teaching position at Kingston College of Art in 1912 and formed the Knox Guild of Craft and Design, which held very successful annual exhibits from 1913 until World War II began in 1939.Liberty and Company was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty (1843-1935) on Regent Street in London in 1875. It provided clients with ornaments, fabrics, and decorative art objects from Japan and the Far East. In 1884, under the directorship of E.W. Godwin, the firm opened a costume department and in the 1890s Liberty became associated with some of England’s leading designers and key figures in the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements, such as Archibald Knox. The business was an immediate success and the firm became synonymous with luxury and great design.HOW WAS IT MADE?Pewter is a metal alloy that primarily contains tin, as well as smaller amounts of metals such as antimony and copper. This tea and coffee set was probably cast from molten pewter, the most common method of working with the metal.WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?This coffee and tea set is a good example of Knox’s “Cymric” style. Cymric style silver has a handmade appearance and incorporated elements of Celtic style and Art Nouveau. You can see this influence by looking at the interlacing vine decoration on each object. The handles are also carefully wrapped with rattan or wicker.To see other objects by Archibald Knox in the Johnson Museum’s collection, search for object numbers 99.078.114, 99.078.115, 99.078.116, 99.078.117, 99.078.122 a,b, 99.078.141, and 2015.018.012 in the keyword search box.

Discover More

Create an account

Please take a moment to fill your information to create your account.

Reset Password

Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive mail with link to set new password.

Save Artwork

Save the artwork in any of your exhibitions or create a new one.

You have not made any exhibitions.

Create New Exhibition

Create New Exhibition