Optical illusion, Europe, 1850-1900

Made:
1850-1900 in Europe
Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

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Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Enamelled metal optical novelty inside paper packet bearing instructions, "Les 2 Piccolos" in form of two torsos (Fritz and Paul), possibly manufactured in Germany and then sold in France, puzzle, German(?), 1850-1900

‘Fritz’ and ‘Paul’, or “Les 2 Piccolos”, are the names given to the two flat metal figures in this optical illusion from France. Whenever you put one next to the other, the piccolo in front always looks bigger despite them being the same size.

It is unclear why this optical illusion was in Henry Wellcome’s medical collection. It may have been used as a diagnostic visual test to explore why people perceive the same thing differently.