Upper denture. 18th century
Dentures of this period were made from a small range of materials, including ivory. This example was carved from hippopotamus ivory and would have been expensive. Ivory was difficult to clean and over time began to deteriorate and smell quite unpleasant. The dentures are shown here with an ivory carving instrument (A29001).
Details
- Category:
- Dentistry
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A600140
- Materials:
- ivory, hippopotamus
- Measurements:
-
overall: 12 mm x 57 mm x 60 mm, .03kg
- type:
- denture