This is an antique print looking at the early history of dentistry. It is not a later reproduction but is now over 200 years old. It is a genuine Georgian print - with engraved lines printed onto the sheet and then hand-coloured with subtle watercolour washes.
The print is a stipple engraving and in excellent condition with no spotting, staining or tears. The original watercolours are clean with no signs of fading. It still retains its original grey and yellow wash decorative border.
The central image of the dentist and his patient is surrounded by an ochre-coloured printed decorative border - added to the composition to look like a real picture frame.
The subject features a dentist dressed in a brown tailcoat and yellow breeches. He is examining the teeth of a patient who is seated in a simple wooden chair. His bad tooth must be giving him a lot of trouble and he winces with pain and clutches onto the dentist. He grabs his forearm and his other arm clutches the practitioner's head and in doing so pulls off his toupee.
It is a primitive procedure and the only equipment shown at the dentist's disposal is the chair and a dental prod to check infected teeth. There are no publication details on this work - but it certainly comes from the world of James Gillray.
The image is entitled in a little blue-tinted lozenge below "Easing the Tooth-ach"
These antique dentistry prints are hard to find and are now highly collectable.
This print is in good antique condition. We have had it framed up for sale - and it has a new cream colour acid-free window mount and a simple black wood frame.
It is beautifully presented and ready for you to hang on your wall.
UK Postage will be with Royal Mail Special Next Day Delivery. This will cost £10 and applied to your order at the checkout.