Harvard Art Museums > 1932.56.12: Object with Eyelet Tools and Equipment Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Object with Eyelet , 1932.56.12,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 28, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/303746. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 1932.56.12 Title Object with Eyelet Other Titles Former Title: Surgical Instrument Classification Tools and Equipment Work Type medical instrument Date 1st century CE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe Period Roman Imperial period, Early Culture Roman Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/303746 Physical Descriptions Medium Bronze Technique Cast Dimensions 13.9 x 1.5 cm, 0.2 cm (5 1/2 x 9/16 in., 1/16 in.) Technical Details Technical Observations: The patina is a mottled green with raised grayish-black corrosion products. The instrument was fashioned in one piece. Notches and lines perpendicular to the blade were formed on the front of the piece in the metal; the back is smooth and flat. It is not clear how the round hole was made. The edges of the hole are stepped, and the blade edges are slightly rounded. The blade is slightly bent, and it is not clear whether this was intentional or accidental. Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2012) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Dr. Harris Kennedy, Milton, MA (by 1932), gift; to the William Hayes Fogg Art Museum, 1932. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Dr. Harris Kennedy, Class of 1894 Accession Year 1932 Object Number 1932.56.12 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums This slender surgical instrument is flat and undecorated on one side, while the other side is slightly modeled, with four or more incised lines for decoration. No blade edge is apparent. The shaft is surmounted by a circular ring with a semicircular outline. The eyelet may indicate the instrument was part of a set of tools held on a ring, similar to a set of toilet instruments at the British Museum, London (1). NOTES: 1. See H. B. Walters, Catalogue of the Bronzes in the British Museum: Greek, Roman and Etruscan (London, 1899) 317, no. 2394. A similar instrument, although slightly shorter and with a more pronounced curve to the blade, is published in N. Rauch, Instruments de chirurgie gréco-romains, Propriété de la Foundation Hardt, June 13, 1961 (Geneva, 1961) 23, no. 84. David Smart Subjects and Contexts Roman Domestic Art Ancient Bronzes Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
