
Thomas Moore
Head of Department
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Sold for £6,120 inc. premium
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Head of Department

Head of Department

Head of Knightsbridge Silver Department


Head of Sale Carpets and Tapestries


While commonly referred to as 'glass eyes', ocular prostheses are of convex 'shell' form, held in place beneath the eyelids. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, European and American firms produced such eyes individually by oil lamp and bellows, then delicately hand painted the iris, pupil, and capillaries. The present Lot contains an impressive number of examples and may have formed the stock of an Ophthalmologist. The range of colours and shapes would have allowed for visiting patients to be serviced directly without the need for bespoke production.