A VICTORIAN NOVELTY SILVER MOUNTED GLASS 'WALRUS' CLARET JUG, WILLIAM LEUCHARS, LONDON, 1881
A VICTORIAN NOVELTY SILVER MOUNTED GLASS 'WALRUS' CLARET JUG, WILLIAM LEUCHARS, LONDON, 1881Estimate $20,000 – $25,000
naturalistically modelled in the form of a walrus, the head with glass eyes and tusks, the head hinges and forms the spout, silver scroll handle, flippers and tail, bearing a patent registration mark to underside, fully hallmarked
40CM LONG
J.B Hawkins in his paper 'Through the Looking Glass' mentions that Alexander Crichton, the renowned Victorian silversmith was inspired by the drawings of Sir John Tenniel for Louis Carrol's 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Alice through the Looking Glass'. Crichton produced the finest whimsical silver mounted claret jugs between 1881-1882.
This particular walrus is hallmarked by William Leuchars however may well have been made by Alexander Crichton. The Leuchars had the design patent from 1872 and may have come to an agreement over the use of the design.