A beautiful antique German schematic eye.  The eye itself is mounted in a brass ring which on the front side is lined with silk and set in an orbit which is quaintly framed with upper and low eyelashes made from human hair which gives the model a surreal appearance and an amulet like quality.

The eye and lenses can be removed and is composed of two brass hemispheres which screw into each other, one of which is plated and has a central glass covering representing the cornea. Lenses of various focal lengths and different mountings are contained in a separate case. The ring is set on an adjustable rod which is secured on a round brass pedestal.

Leitz Wetzlar were a German company formed in the late 19th Century who made microscopes and later cameras into the 20th century. Their lenses were world class and of the highest quality. This instrument would have been used to determine refraction rather than used for fundoscopy per se which is why there are no retinal images. There is an eye of similar configuration shown in the Wellcome Images but with a painted background which is dated there as 1840-1900

• From the Phisick collection