American Toby Jug Museum 

Sea Monster majolica toby jug produced by Sarreguemines of Lorraine, France, circa 1900, model number 961. Sea monsters are beings from folklore believed to dwell in the sea and often imagined to be of immense size. Marine monsters can take many forms, including sea dragons, sea serpents, or tentacled beasts. They can be slimy and scaly and are often pictured threatening ships or spouting jets of water. The definition of a "monster" is subjective; further, some sea monsters may have been based on scientifically accepted creatures, such as whales and types of giant and colossal squid. The Sea Monster has a removeable lid and his tail curls up to form the handle of the jug. The low model number makes this a rare and early Sarreguemines design pre-dating most of the factory's other majolica ware.