A mid 19th century convoluted trumpet made from soldering a series of bulbous tin segments together and finished with a black lacquer and gilt (now olive) interior.

Ear trumpets design not infrequently mimicked organic or middle ear structures either as an aid to air conduction or for cosmetic effect.

According to the Indianapolis Co medical catalogue this device was ‘intended by its gradually decreasing corrugations to intensify and accumulate the sound and is a very desirable instrument’. It sounds questionable but when tested a similar instrument in the CID-Goldtein collection showed a good functional gain with two peaks of amplification.

• From the Phisick collection