NICHOLAS MULLER (GERMAN/AMERICAN, 1818-1873) AND KARL MULLER (GERMAN/AMERICAN, 1820-1887), NEW YORK, CIRCA 1876

Exceptional baseball themed display piece is considered one of the most important of the period featuring an ornate front faceplate cast by noted makers Nicholas and Karl Muller. A pair of players in period attire adorn either side, believed to represent members of the Brooklyn Atlantics and New York Mutuals, and at lower center are likenesses which bear striking resemblance to baseball pioneers Alexander Cartwright and Henry Chadwick. Also found within the decor are two children, similarly wearing early uniforms, with one having bat in hand. Original wooden encasement houses the interior clock work mechanisms which remains intact, although not currently running. Typical light general wear and aging with surface displaying a coat of period black paint applied over top of original gilt wash. Highly important piece is one of only a handful of surviving examples. Retains its original winding key: EX