This large and extraordinarily historic piece is one of the original terra-cotta decorative displays featured directly above the main entrance to the original Yankee Stadium. Along with the famous white façade, this piece, often referred to as a “cornerstone,” is one of the defining architectural elements of the original Yankee Stadium, which greeted every player and the millions of fans who came to the hallowed grounds from the day of its grand opening in 1923 until it was carefully taken down during the renovations in 1973. This year marks the 100th anniversary of that opening. Its placement above the front entrance can be seen in every detailed stadium photograph and even in the original blueprints for the building.
The decorative design consists of two baseballs in the center of a scrolled pattern, below which is a yellow “sunrise.” Over the course of 50 years, millions of sports fans passed beneath this piece as they made their way through the turnstiles. From the day of its opening, Yankee Stadium has been the most celebrated of all sporting venues, home to baseball’s first huge drawing card and greatest slugger, Babe Ruth, and has long been referred to as “The House That Ruth Built” in his honor. The history of the stadium includes the feats of legends such as Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and countless other Yankee greats who contributed to an astounding 20 championship seasons between 1923 and 1973. The stadium was also home to the football Giants as well as many other significant sporting events, including the famous Joe Louis/Max Schmeling heavyweight championship fight.
The piece exhibits some natural wear from being a part of the stadium façade for 50 years and then in storage for 50 years since. Overall, it has been remarkably well preserved in the century since it first was a part of the original stadium. This is an extremely decorative piece, ideal for display, as intended. It was preserved as the ultimate souvenir of the most revered of all stadiums. The photos show that nine such pieces adorned the original stadium, but a smaller number is thought to have survived, perhaps a half dozen. Legendary collector Barry Halper had a section of a wall removed from his collecting room in his home to allow for one of the Yankee cornerstones to be inserted directly into the wall, and another was long ago exhibited at the American Museum of Folk Art. The Halper-owned piece was sold for nearly $53,000 at auction in July 2007. Dimensions: 16-by-19 inches and approximately 5 inches tall at the point of highest relief on the sculpture. Weight: Approximately 80 pounds. Please Note: Due to the size and/or weight of this lot, shipping costs (depending on where it is sent and its method of shipping) may be substantial.