Figure group 'The Toothdrawer'

sketchfab

Figure group 'The Toothdrawer', spelter, by Raimondo Pereda, cast by Werch Glinniche, Berlin, 1870-1880. This zinc sculpture showcases a middle-aged workman, possibly a blacksmith, skillfully extracting a patient's tooth with a hook. The patient's distressed facial expression clearly indicates he is in excruciating pain and requires the blacksmith to hold him down firmly. Tooth extraction was typically performed by individuals from various professions, including barber-surgeons, traveling practitioners, and skilled craftsmen like blacksmiths. It wasn't until the late 1800s that dentistry became a regulated and licensed profession. The sculpture is signed by Raimondo Pereda (1840-1915), a talented Swiss artist.