Description

A set of fourteen 19th century dental instruments fashioned from steel with brass ferrules and ebony handles, all in good solid condition but with some tarnish to the steel and manufactured by Claudius Ash & Sons, the catalogue pages are taken from their catalogue dated 1871. All are matched with faceted ebony handles and include dental enamel cutters and other instruments used for shaping or removing tooth structure by hand before the widespread adoption of rotary drills. All the instruments are marked  ‘C. Ash & Sons England’ and some bear numbers as follows, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 12 and three not numbered. 

They vary in length from 15.8cm to 14.3cm.

Claudius Ash (1792–1854) was originally a London goldsmith and silversmith who began working in the dental field around 1820 after being asked to craft a set of false teeth. At the time, dentures were mostly made from animal ivory or extracted human teeth (including “Waterloo teeth” from battlefields). Ash introduced porcelain teeth mounted on gold plates, springs, and swivels—creating dentures that were both aesthetically superior and functionally more reliable, revolutionising prosthetic dentistry. Claudius Ash & Sons became one of the most influential and internationally renowned dental manufacturing companies in 19th and early 20th century Britain, transforming the field of dentures and dental instruments through innovative craftsmanship. 

Items such as this are rare as they were made in very small numbers to the highest quality standards as price was not the primary concern, most good examples are now in museums and private collections.