Rome, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. This is a collection of six cast bronze surgical and cosmetic instruments. There are two spoons, a spatula probe (spathomele), a probe/curette, an obstetrical hook, and a pair of epilation forceps. Our knowledge of ancient Roman surgical instruments comes from excavations of places like Pompeii's House of the Surgeon, where a number of these items were found preserved beneath the volcanic ash, and written descriptions in works like Hippocrates (5th century BCE) and Galen (2nd century CE). The spoons and spatula proba would have been used for mixing medicines or cosmetics, while the epilation tweezers will be familiar to all of us today. Hooks were used for lifting tissue or veins during surgeries and dissections as well as removing foreign objects, while probes/curettes were both for mixing medicines and sounding. Size: 6" L x .25" W (15.2 cm x 0.6 cm).

Provenance: ex-collection AT, London, acquired before 1993

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#111319

All intact!