Description
A finely-engraved, four-bladed, French fleam in nickel silver by Ferras. My friend Jean-Pierre Martin tells us that Ferras was a surgical instrument maker working in Toulouse during the 1850s and 1860s (INSTRUMENTATION CHIRURGICALE ET COUTLLERIE EN FRANCE, 2013: 137) . I was initially unable to identify the scene engraved on the fleam but after it was posted I was contacted by Alex Peck who suggested it was an image of the Capitoline Hill in Rome. Google “Capitoline Hill, Rome” and you will see that this is indeed the case. My thanks to Alex for sharing his erudition. There are only a handful of fleams in public and private collection with engraving of this quality.
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Dealer information
M&R Gordon
Michael and Roberta Gordon have been dealing in medical and dental antiques for almost four decades. They have helped build a number of major private collections and have contributed to the holdings of many museums. They also deal in other scientific and technology related items, including calculating instruments, office machines, patent models and wine-related accessories such as corkscrews. ROBERTA GORDON IS A SKILLED RESTORER WHO CAN HELP YOU WITH ANY INSTRUMENTS AND CASES THAT NEED ATTENTION. Feel free to contact them for details at: mgordon1940@gmail.com or 718-623-6777