The author of the first figured zoomorphic vessels, which began the craze of the British in these unusual and funny jugs in the early 1880s, was Alexander Crichton. The Walrus design is one of the very first figurative jugs recorded by Alexander Crichton in the State Archives on September 22, 1881.

In 1880, Crichton entered into a partnership with Charles John Curry, who came from a family of silversmiths and had spent seven years as an apprenticeship as a modeller and chaser with Edward Barnard & Sons. They registered the joint company Crichton and Curry in 1880. Less than a year later, they patented their first figurine, an owl. In the same year, “Walrus”, “Duck” and “Drake” were registered – all patents from 1881. This was followed by other design patents, and not only jugs, but also other vessels – pepper shakers, salt shakers and bottles. The fashion for original novelties was picked up by other manufacturers of silverware, who began to produce wine jugs in the form of animals and birds according to their own designs.

With the depressed and highly competitive economy of the early 1880s, the firm did not last long, the partnership was dissolved by October 1884 and Crichton filed for bankruptcy in December 1886 with debts of £1,846. However short-lived his business was, Alexander Crichton left a notable creative legacy that has come down to our time.