Victorian silver novelties do not come much better than this claret jug, formed as a 9in (23cm) tall kneeling elephant by James Barclay Hennell, London 1881. The hinged head (currently lacking tusks) forms the cover.

Extracted from Antiques Trade Gazette | Roland Arkell

The rare 32oz vessel – a must for any collector seeking to amass a menagerie of Victorian animal-form claret jugs – was offered at Dreweatts (25% buyer’s premium) in Newbury on November 27.

With a tempting estimate of £1200-1800, it took £21,000.