A Good Pair of Early 20thC Human Prosthetic Glass Eyes

Origin: British or German
Period: Early Twentieth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1910-30
Width: 1.4 inches (each)
 
In original condition and fantastically well made are these genuine human glass prosthetic eyes having superbly detailed hazel coloured iris’s, the wholes in shell like form.

In generally good order, the eyes have no chips or cracks, though one has some small surface wear to the coloured surface.

The introduction of cryolite glass by German craftsmen in 1835 produced a grayish-white color suitable for a prosthetic eye. To make these glass eyes, a tube of glass was heated on one end until the form of a ball was obtained and various colours of glass were then used like paintbrushes to imitate the natural colours of the eye. This glass art form flourished particularly in France and Germany where secrets of production were handed down from one generation to the next. In the 19th century, German craftsmen (or"ocularists") began to tour the world, setting up for several days at a time in one city where they fabricated eyes and fitted them to patients. By the mid-1940s, glass eyes were being replaced by plastic counterparts.

A collector’s item for those with an eye for the peculiar. Make that two eyes.