This drinking vessel in the form of a hare's head was created in 1851 by Samuel Arndt, one of the leading silversmiths employed by the celebrated firm called the English Shop. This firm existed in St Petersburg for about a century and for a long time was exclusively entrusted with the most important orders from the Imperial Court - for silver table services and toilet articles for members of the imperial family. The tradition of producing drinking vessels for informal occasions in the shape of different animals existed in 18th-century Russia and a century later it was revived. In this work the craftsman succeeded superbly in conveying the character of a wild animal and only by turning the hare upside down it is possible to understand that it was made to hold wine.