Hooked Instrument and Sickle Knife, Diderot Chirurgie Plate XX, circa 1772

An original antique copper engraving, uncolored, from the Chirurgie plates of the Encyclopédie. Fig. 1 is an instrument whose narrow shaft ends in a strong pointed hook, on a long handle with a curled butt. Fig. 2 is a rod with a pointed bulb shaped head on a faceted handle. Fig. 3 is a straight shaft with a flat circular guard carrying an oval head above it, a looped heart shaped grip below, small scrolls and a coarse screw at the foot. Fig. 4 is a plain straight pointed knife with a faceted handle. Fig. 5, rising the full height of the plate at the right, is a large sickle shaped blade, deeply curved and tapering to a fine point, on a heavy handle with a scrolled butt. Fig. 6, across the lower half, is a long open trough with a raised, slotted end, small fittings along its side and a ring at the corner.

The plate number is lettered "Pl. XX." at the top right, the section "Chirurgie." is lettered below the border, and the page number "83." stands at the lower left. It is signed at the lower right with the conjoined AB monogram followed by "s.", the mark the Venetian engraver Antonio Baratti used on the Livorno plates (his full signature, "Antonio Baratti s.", is lettered on Pl. XII of this section).

The Encyclopédie of Diderot and d'Alembert came with volumes of engraved plates, the Recueil de planches, and this sheet comes from the Chirurgie section of the Livorno edition published by Giuseppe Aubert, whose plate volumes appeared between 1771 and 1778. In this section the instruments, bandages and apparatus of surgery are set out and operations are shown, with numbered figures keyed to an explanation printed in the text volume.

The plate mark is visible around the image.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.