Archibald Knox was born on the Isle of Man, a stronghold of ancient Celtic culture. For this waist clasp or belt buckle, Knox adapted the form of a portcullis, a symbolic entryway that opened to receive initiates into Celtic mysteries. He ornamented the arched form with whiplash-stemmed water lilies, a popular Art Nouveau motif. Handmade of silver enriched with blue-green enamel, the clasp typifies turn-of-the-century jewelry that emphasized strong design, rejecting the need for expensive materials such as gold or large-karat gems. The clasp was part of Knox’s “Cymric” line for Liberty’s of London, which made him a household name in England. As tastemaker and playwright Oscar Wilde described the luxury department store, “Liberty is the chosen resort of the artistic shopper.”