No. These days the use of glass in artificial eyes has largely been superseded by acrylic plastic \u2013 the \u201cmodern\u201d material of prosthetic eye making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artificial eyes have been recorded in history for many thousands of years being in existence from the Egyptian Fourth Dynasty (2613-2494 BC) till the Sixth (664-525 BC) as part of the mummification process and there is evidence of their existence in Ancient Rome, Greece and China too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, French surgeon Ambroise Par\u00e9<\/strong> (1510-90) could have laid claim to be the father of facial prosthetics. He was the first to describe the use of artificial eyes and constructed them from enamelled gold, silver, porcelain and glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Par\u00e9 made indwelling eyes (the \u201chypoblephara\u201d) but also external devices retained with wire attachments (the \u201cekblephara\u201d), as surgical removal of the eyeball was rare until the 19th century. Doubtless Par\u00e9\u2019s prostheses were impressive to look at and highly desirable, but must also have been heavy, quite fragile and extremely expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first known Ocularists, constructing artificial eyes from glass during the golden age of Italian glassmaking, came out of Venice in the 16th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the 19th century Europe was acknowledged as a centre of excellence in artistic craftsmanship, and Germany became the centre for glass eye production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An important figure in the history of artificial eyes from Germany was Ludwig M\u00fcller-Uri<\/strong> (1811-88), a maker of doll\u2019s eyes, who developed glass for prosthetic use with local people. In 1868 in collaboration with his nephew Friedrich M\u00fcller-Uri a new form of glass called Cryolite<\/strong> was developed. This new type of glass was smoother and more resistant to attack by tear production, thereby increasing the lifespan of an eye. Throughout the Nineteenth Century, teams of German Ocularists would dispense artificial eyes visiting towns and cities in Europe & America. However, glass eye making was still a highly specialised, time consuming and expensive business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jost Haas works in London; is the last glass eye maker left in Britain; and is close to retirement. He originates from Germany, where glass eye technology was perfected in the 18th century. He still manufactures glass eyes using techniques which have been mostly unchanged for over two hundred years. Nowadays virtually all prosthetic eyes are made from acrylic plastic, rendering Mr. Haas\u2019 undeniable skill almost redundant. There is however, an element of trust and familiarity built up between Ocularist and patient, and that small band of patients who have continued to attend Mr. Haas for their artificial eyes over the years will undoubtedly feel uneasy at the thought of attending another practitioner.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This video stands as a fascinating document of an almost forgotten art which will finally pass into history in the UK when Mr. Hass retires.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Glass Eye<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Last Glass Eye Maker in Britain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n