History of Science & Technology, Including the World of Richard Feynman, and Natural History
History of Science & Technology, Including the World of Richard Feynman, and Natural History
A Cased Set of Prosthetic Handblown Glass Eyes
Late 19th to Early 20th Century
No reserve
Lot Closed
December 13, 07:02 PM GMT
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
A Cased Set of Prosthetic Handblown Glass Eyes
50 handblown glass eyes in contemporary case (12½ x 6 inches), likely English, late 19th to early 20th century.
Case in pebbled paper over wood, lined with purple felt, containing 50 examples of handblown glass eyes in a variety of grey, blue, green, brown and hazel hues, many with painted inflections. Faded, partially lost label on exterior of case reads "lft [...] Hazel Blue."
Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired. "The History and Evolution of Prosthetic Eyes." <https://ibvi.org/blog/the-history-and-evolution-of-prosthetic-eyes/>
Moghadasi AN. Artificial Eye in Burnt City and Theoretical Understanding of How Vision Works. Iran J Public Health. 2014 Nov;43(11):1595-6.
A UNIQUE PEEK AT MEDICAL HISTORY
This cased set of prosthetic eyes, made of handblown glass and carefully painted in exquisite detail, represents a compelling snapshot of both the science and art of medical history.
The first use of ocular prosthesis dates back to c. 2900 BCE in what is today modern Iran. In 2007, archaeologists discovered a prosthetic, made of clay and lined with gold, worn outside the left eye socket of the skeleton of a woman believed to be a priestess. This example, as well as those used by the Ancient Romans and Egyptians, were worn on or outside the eye.
By the late sixteenth century, Venetians were making prosthetic eyes out of glass that were to be worn in the eye socket. The techniques developed by the Venetians later spread to France and then to Germany, where the technology was improved upon to make the prosthetics more durable.
The present lot dates from the late 19th to early 20th century, after the techniques developed by the Venetians had spread to France, Germany, and England.