Show me:
and
Clear all filters

  • 34 items
  • 25 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 3,438 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 280 items
  • 4 items
  • 220 items
  • 13,284 items Explore
  • 209 items Explore
  • 1,225 items Explore
  • 8,751 items Explore
  • 5,089 items Explore
  • 25 items Explore
  • 165 items Explore
  • 13,005 items Explore
  • 13,617 items Explore
  • 4,810 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 5 items
  • 149 items Explore
  • 2,001 items Explore
  • 4,759 items Explore
  • 422 items Explore
  • 252 items
  • 102 items Explore
  • 19,977 items Explore
  • 34 items Explore
  • 1,924 items Explore
  • 1,083 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 2,078 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 456 items Explore
  • 920 items Explore
  • 1 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 7 items
  • 20,314 items Explore
  • 800 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 73 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 793 items
  • 20 items
  • 4 items
  • 26 items
  • 61 items
  • 28 items
  • 319 items Explore
  • 6 items
  • 44 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 2 items
  • 2 items
  • 7 items
  • 121 items Explore
  • 119 items
  • 1 items
  • 976 items Explore
  • 812 items
  • 95 items
  • 27 items
  • 107 items
  • 37,387 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,881 items Explore
  • 1,530 items Explore
  • 403 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 10,423 items Explore
  • 9,684 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1 items
  • 38 items
  • 3 items
  • 4 items
  • 6,778 items Explore
  • 7,364 items Explore
  • 4,641 items Explore
  • 1,910 items Explore
  • 1,194 items Explore
  • 23,713 items Explore
  • 3,663 items Explore
  • 17 items
  • 5 items
  • 334 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,360 items Explore
  • 23 items Explore
  • 374 items Explore
  • 796 items Explore
  • 1,093 items Explore
  • 514 items Explore
  • 1,146 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 6,955 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 310 items
  • 4 items
  • 2 items
  • 63 items
  • 2 items
  • 2,909 items Explore
  • 1,582 items Explore
  • 203 items
  • 90 items
  • 22,166 items Explore
  • 1,328 items Explore
  • 138 items
  • 847 items Explore
  • 32 items
  • 1 items
  • 130 items Explore
  • 40 items
  • 20 items
  • 252 items
  • 313 items
  • 685 items Explore
  • 346 items Explore
  • 2,429 items
  • 2,544 items
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,394 items Explore
  • 40,349 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,293 items Explore
  • 275 items Explore
  • 8,749 items Explore
  • 31 items
  • 25 items
  • 304 items Explore
  • 777 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 65 items
  • 161 items
  • 50 items
  • 52 items
  • 23,368 items Explore
  • 916 items
  • 66 items
  • 22,644 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 2,337 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 1,028 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 759 items
  • 499 items
  • 4 items
  • 3,308 items Explore
  • 179 items
  • 59 items
  • 454 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 21 items
  • 90 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 281 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 6 items
  • 128 items
  • 295 items
  • 447 items
  • 288 items
  • 1 items
  • 906 items Explore
  • 272 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 11,294 items Explore
  • 755 items Explore
  • 6,032 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 8,298 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,977 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 3,725 items Explore
  • 9,182 items Explore
  • 7,885 items Explore
  • 185 items
  • 19 items
  • 144 items
  • 7 items
  • 853 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 8 items
  • 1,096 items Explore
  • 269 items
  • 1 items
  • 2,063 items
  • 3,522 items Explore
  • 695 items Explore
  • 18 items
  • 134 items
  • 6,744 items Explore
  • 93 items
  • 18,938 items Explore
  • 3,136 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 7 items
  • 10,979 items Explore
  • 37 items
  • 2 items
  • 21,544 items Explore
  • 35 items
  • 13,291 items Explore
  • 3,462 items Explore
  • 5,674 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 50,822 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 634 items Explore
  • 417 items
  • 26,854 items Explore
  • 216 items
  • 3 items
  • 6 items
  • 1 items
  • 35 items
  • 27 items
  • 445 items Explore
  • 636 items
  • 209 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 13,667 items Explore
  • 1,360 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 10,260 items
  • 9 items
  • 10 items
  • 14 items
  • 25 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,524 items Explore
  • 913 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 314 items
  • 511 items Explore
  • 42 items
  • 2,286 items Explore
  • 1,664 items Explore
  • 15 items
  • 1,876 items Explore
  • 150 items
  • 81 items
  • 766 items Explore
  • 3,133 items Explore
  • 44 items
  • 17 items
  • 12 items
  • 10,669 items Explore
  • 23,432 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 41 items
  • 1,374 items
  • 179 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 84 items
  • 1 items
  • 13,583 items Explore
  • 3,582 items Explore
  • 2,904 items Explore
  • 4,798 items Explore
  • 22 items
  • 30 items
  • 6,910 items Explore
  • 4,841 items Explore
  • 256 items Explore
  • 2,300 items Explore
  • 2,978 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 1,897 items Explore
  • 193 items
  • 223 items Explore
  • 466 items Explore
  • 6,118 items Explore
  • 8,729 items Explore
  • 1,860 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,941 items Explore
  • 3,354 items Explore
  • 11,126 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 84 items
  • 11 items
  • 2,503 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 23 items
  • 51 items
  • 6 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,258 items Explore
  • 611 items Explore
  • 72 items
  • 17 items
  • 154 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 95 items Explore
  • 460 items
  • 996 items Explore
  • 3,553 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 5 items
  • 2 items
  • 9,493 items Explore
  • 48 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 7 items
  • 42 items
  • 3 items
  • 13,790 items Explore
  • 1,161 items Explore
  • 92 items
  • 10,561 items Explore
  • 1,920 items
  • 18 items
  • 6,835 items Explore
  • 21 items
  • 12,950 items Explore
  • 1,418 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 6,172 items Explore
  • 14,894 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1,667 items Explore
  • 181 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 15 items
  • 5,686 items Explore
  • 12,284 items Explore
  • 48 items
  • 25 items
  • 2 items
  • 3 items
  • 7,215 items Explore
  • 357 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 6 items
  • 103 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 5 items
  • 485 items
  • 667 items Explore
  • 8,371 items Explore
  • 58 items
  • 7,347 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 26 items
  • 4,615 items Explore
  • 428 items
  • 339 items Explore
  • 12,715 items Explore
  • 55 items
  • 20 items
  • 7 items
  • 4 items
  • 325 items Explore
  • 427 items
  • 458 items
  • 3,704 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1,238 items Explore
  • 2,503 items Explore
  • 733 items Explore
  • 36 items
  • 1,136 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 24 items
  • 228 items Explore
  • 80,042 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,139 items Explore
  • 2,874 items Explore
  • 25 items
  • 5,349 items Explore
  • 1,831 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 17,514 items Explore
  • 4,930 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 7 items
  • 631 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 31 items
  • 1 items
  • 76 items
  • 29 items
  • 86 items
  • 3 items
  • 1,176 items Explore
  • 109 items
  • 805 items
  • 12,462 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 13 items
  • 1,709 items Explore
  • 214 items
  • 17,037 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 17 items
  • 1 items
  • 8 items
  • 324 items
  • 2 items
  • 626 items Explore
  • 1,597 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 1,130 items Explore
  • 376 items
  • 2 items
  • 331 items

Select a time period

Or choose a specific year

Clear all filters

Mechanical arm

Category

Arms and armour

Date

circa 1550 - circa 1650

Materials

Metal

Measurements

420 mm (Length)

Place of origin

Europe

Order this image

Collection

Cotehele, Cornwall

NT 347324

Caption

This prosthetic arm is a remarkable invention and a survival from a brutal period. Terrible injuries were inflicted on the battlefields of Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries, from arrow and gunshot wounds to the loss of limbs. This led surgeons such as Ambroise Paré (1510–90) to work with armourers to design and produce pioneering prostheses, including mechanically functioning hands and arms. The existing artificial substitutes for amputated limbs, such as wooden pegs, were often stiff and clumsy. Paré wanted them to be more functional, simulating the natural movement of the limb. This ingenious example has moveable fingers that can be individually locked into place with tiny buttons, allowing a soldier to grip his reins or sword, and giving the wearer some flexibility. It weighs almost 1.3kg and is displayed in the Great Hall among examples of weapons and armour. It is known to have been at the property since at least the 1830s.

Summary

Mechanical arm for left hand, fingers lock into place by a stud to enable grip on reins or weapon. It weighs 1.274 Kilos (2lb 13oz). Three buttons can lock the five cast fingers into place. One button on the side of the wrist controls the thumb, another on the underside of the wrist locks or loosens index and middle finger whilst the third, next to the second, is there for ring finger and little finger. Each finger can be put into another position, ratchets and studs keep them in place.

Full description

Felix Fischborn, placement student at Cotehele in 2008, researched this item: “Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries Europe was torn by wars. Gunshots and arrow wounds, fractures and dislocations, burns and gashes were treated by the surgeons accompanying the military campaigns. Medical services were not centrally organised, but in England the Royal Sergeant Surgeon could urge surgeons to serve with the monarch’s forces for the duration of a campaign. Some surgeons who published books or treatises on their profession had gathered their information on the battlefields of their times. Among them are Ambroise Paré who published Dix livres de la chirurgie in 1564 and John Woodall and his The surgeons mate of 1617. Ambroise Paré was a surgeon under François I serving the generals in command of infantry of the French army. Besides describing new methods of treatment and revolutionary operation techniques, he depicted mechanical hands, too. The prints shown are taken from his books and from an English translation published in 1634. They show that some of these prostheses were rather simple whilst others were highly mechanized devices, enabling otherwise lost functions of the limb. In the 16th century prostheses were usually made by armourers. Some were made in collaboration with locksmiths or clockmakers. Though artificial limbs have been made since antiquity – Pliny the Elder (AD 23 or 24 to AD 79) mentions a Roman nobleman who fought in the Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) with an iron hand and an Egyptian mummy with a prosthetic foot was found, too – this artificial hand is a rare survivor. As with many objects at Cotehele, we do not know how it came here. First evidence of the hand at Cotehele is given in the lithographic print made after a watercolour painted in the 1830s by Nicholas Condy. This print is on display in the Breakfast Room, and it shows the hand hanging on the North wall of the Hall, similar to its current position.” A replica was made by Context Engineering, Powys, in 2009 (348927). Cotehele’s mechanical hand features in ‘Mechatronic Hands: Prosthetic and Robotic Design’ by Paul H. Chappell, published by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (2016). ISBN 978-1785611544.