9 Surgical Instruments, made of wrought iron, for Cerusi or Surgeons, 1600-1650
Valuable and important set of 9 surgical instruments, forged in wrought iron and dating back to between approximately 1600 and 1650, intended for the use of surgeons and doctors for the execution of both surgical and dental operations, according to the practices in vogue in the 17th century.
The kit consists of scalpels, spatulas, scrapers, chisels, files, two cauteries and a toothpick, attesting to the notable versatility of use sought by the medical art professionals of the time, who were called upon to intervene with multifunctional instruments on a vast range of interventions.
All the specimens, with the exception of the two cauteries, present the characteristic "spool" workmanship, typical of the first half of the 1600s; this refined finish, of an eminently decorative nature, leads us to assume a high-ranking client, probably attributable to a surgeon of particular prestige.
The whole is therefore a significant testimony both to the evolution of surgical practices in the Baroque age and to the high degree of expertise achieved by master forgers in the processing of small iron finishes in the production of instruments for medical use.
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