Frog at the Bird’s Nest

This inkstand depicts a fanciful scene from nature, centered around a bird’s nest that serves as the inkwell. The piece is made of spelter metal. Two pen holders are integrated into the front of the base.

At the heart of the inkstand is a bird’s nest, textured to resemble woven twigs and leaves. The center of the nest functions as the inkwell’s cover. Two small, smooth, rounded forms resembling eggs are positioned within the nest’s rim, designed to serve as a handle for lifting out the glass ink reservoir.

Perched on the left side of the nest, a bird is depicted, its head turned, seemingly attending to the nest. On the right side, a frog is shown clambering over the rim of the nest. The entire composition rests on an irregularly shaped base, which is richly textured with detailed leaves, branches, and other natural elements, evoking an outdoor environment.

The inkstand is signed “N. Müller”. Nicholas Muller  was a prominent figure in American metalware and sculpture of the 19th century.

Nicholas Muller (American, born Germany, 1818–1873)

• Background: Nicholas Muller was a German-born American artist and manufacturer. He was active in New York, and his firm was known as N. Muller & Sons.
• Specialization: His company specialized in cast metal sculptures and decorative objects, often made from bronze, spelter (a zinc alloy), or other white metal alloys. These objects frequently served as decorative accessories for the home or office.
• Subject Matter: Muller’s work often depicted figural subjects, including genre scenes, historical figures, and sometimes animalistic motifs, in styles popular during the mid to late 19th century. For example, he produced figures like “The Writer,” “Baseball Batter,” “Baseball Pitcher,” and a “Statuette of Blacksmith.”
• Period of Activity: While his birth date is 1818 and death date 1873, his firm N. Muller & Sons continued to operate after his death, producing pieces throughout the late 19th century, well into the 1880s and 1890s. The frog inkstand’s naturalistic style with a whimsical touch fit well within the broader late Victorian aesthetic that Muller’s company embraced.