19th Century Meerschaum Baseball Player Hand Carved Pipe

This intricately hand carved Meerschaum pipe features a gloveless full-figured baseball player catching a baseball. From the player's uniform and other design characteristics the pipe appears to date from the 19th century. The pipe has been used, but remains free from any marks, cracks or other blemishes. It is interesting to note that the rare and popular Kalamazoo Bats cards issued by Charles Gros & Co. of Philadelphia in 1887 offered a Meerschaum pipe as part of a redemption program detailed on cards issued with advertising on back.