Ophthalmic instrument set, comprising of six knives, one pair of iris forceps (marked SAVIGNY & CO.) and one combined needle and gouge, steel blades, ivory handles, 1810-1850

The set contains six knives, one combined needle and gouge and a pair of iris forceps to carry out delicate eye operations. Iris forceps are used to move connective tissues around on the iris, whereas cataract knives were used to take out cataracts, which cause the lens of the eye to become cloudy and can lead to blindness unless removed. The ivory-handled set was made by a number of British surgical instrument makers.