- Edentarius. Der Zahnbrecher
- HC.J.16.X.104
- Jost Amman (Artist)
- By Jost Amman (1539-91). One of 133 woodcut book-illustrations, showing an exterior with a dentist looking into the mouth of a man who sits on a bench. It portrays a sixteenth-century scene in a German market-place, where a mountebank is performing a dental operation. His 'diploma' with impressive seal and string of extracted teeth are visible in the rear. This engraving was included in a setof arts and trades published in 1568 with ten lines of poetry in Latin; and reprinted 1574 with the poetry in German. In fantastic language, the charlatan appealed to sufferers to consult him concerning their teeth, carious or loose due to worms, particularly in cases where treatment with herbs (fumigation) had failed. He boldly claimed that he could pluck out offending ones, like a barber with sharp scissors!
- Sixteenth century, late
Height: As seen 8.0 cm
