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Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810
Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810

Superb 18th Century Shagreen Case, Etui, 4 Surgical Lancets and 1 Medical Tool, c.1780-1810

Regular price $895.00 Sale price $626.50
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This is the very best lancet or surgical set I've found in more than 40 years of active buying, the case being as close to pristine as I've ever seen, museums included. Shagreen is, of course, the belly leather of stingray, often in a green coloration, or this black and slightly coarser scale one you see here. This is a late 1700s to earliest 1800s surgical kit. Medicine in that time consisted of bleeding bad 'humours' from an ill patient. While it seldom did anything for a patient, it made some sense with pre-scientific medicine. Complete original sets are rare to find, most not in very good condition. Full measurements are noted on the photos.

Very good to excellent condition for age and type. An exceptionally fine original 200 year old or more case. While there are a few very tiny bug nips to edges of some of the tortoise shell covers/handles on the lancets, they are unbroken and have no chips. The lancets are very sharp, still. The additional tool has a sharp tip and a rounded ball, each meant to widen or open a surgical incision. Superb set for age!

IMPORTANT NOTE regarding antique tortoise shell or ivory: We are great supporters of protection for endangered species in our modern world. We never buy or sell anything 100 years or newer; we donate to anti-poaching organizations; we don't hunt; we conserve in ways that impact global warming (we're totally solar at home), knowing those measures also protect the animals in the wild today. We also recognize the vast cultural history we preserve with our care and reverence for these antique objects, and agree with CITES that objects over 100 years of age have nothing whatsoever to do with species depletion in our current world. 

Our offering exceeds the age limitation of "more than 100 years of age", and is well within the exemption for CITES regulation. If imported, met the CITES regulation. This item will be handled and shipped from our Utah business, and is not available for shipment internationally, nor within the USA to California, NY, Nevada, Hawaii, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington if it contains ivory, sorry. Please see our small print for more details.