This beautiful stein was produced by Villeroy and Boch in Mettlach over 100 years ago. The exceptionally crafted etched technique decoration shows a bowling scene with bowling alley and two men playing. The central scene portrays a pin boy happily dancing with a ball in the form of a pig hitting the pins and making the strike. Also, a pig is standing on top of the column - the live pig was the traditional prize in the 1800s in some European countries. Most likely, that was the name for the winning strike. A fox is standing on the another column - there is probably some another bowling symbolism I am not familiar with. The inscription reads: “All’ neun und Kranz beim Kegelspiel — Wer das nicht schiebt, der schiebt nich viel.”
(All nine and wreath, while bowling — He who does not knock them over, does not knock over much.)