German Oculus Placido Disk or Keratoscope Opthalmologist Tool handmade wooden penguin with no chips

with no chips

I purchased it because I thought it was just a beautiful and curious sculptural object that would look great propped or hanging somewhere

If I had to collect only one thing

They were ultimately replaced by the (far less beautiful

German Oculus Placido Disk or Keratoscope Opthalmologist Tool handmade wooden penguin with no chipsI bought this old Placido Disk, or Keratoscope, not knowing exactly what it was, because it reminded me of Duchamp's "Rotoreliefs," and also because I thought it could serve as a great prop for all sorts of things, including perhaps a low budget Sci Fi film! I've since learned that this device, invented in the late 19th century, is an ophthalmic instrument used to assess the shape of the anterior surface of the cornea: a series of concentric rings is