Private Collection, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Sotheby’s London, July 3, 2012, lot 167
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Liberty Silver Sketch Book, Westminster City Archives, London, n.d., p. 441, no. 2024

Overall in very good condition. The metal surfaces with minor faint scratches and oxidation. The upper section with two shallow indentations, the largest measuring approximately 3/8 inch. The opening of the vase is slightly out of round. The enamel surfaces with traces of polish concentrated to the edges and visible on close inspection. The baseplate with a gentle warp which is not visually distracting. The underside of the vase with minor surface scratches and spotting consistent with age and gentle handling. A superb design of which is the only known extant example. The entrelac designs are dynamic and flow through the work in a visually arresting way.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This vase, the only known example of the form, is the tallest designed by Knox.  The linearity of its striking silhouette is complemented by a quintessentially Knox base, with cut outs and suggestions of entrelac that can be found on other fine silver objects.  These motifs also foreshadow calligraphic page outlines from masterpieces of his later years like The Deer’s Cry and Book of Remembrance.  What makes this vase aesthetically special is how Knox wrapped its slender body with exquisitely drawn and colored entrelac fields, strategically placing one lin the lower quadrant of one side and the other on the upper register of the reverse, thus giving the vase an elegant dynamism.  Finally, the aesthetics of this slender form must have been in Knox’s mind when he designed the towering slate obelisk that marks the grave of another Manx hero, the writer Hall Caine.  Like Knox’s designs, Caine’s novels, are the acknowledged art that is of the "spirit of Man."