An antique Dentists Travelling Cabinet by Claudius Ash & Sons, c.1910 complete with contents. The cabinet is French polished with a lift up top and 6 drawers. Most of the contents are marked Ash. Claudius Ash followed his father into the profession of silversmithing and goldsmithing in the firm of Ash & Sons, London. In about 1820 he was asked to apply his craftsmanship to making a set of dentures. Up to this time, the majority of false teeth were made from hippopotamus or walrus ivory that was prone to discolouring, or from human teeth extracted from dead bodies, including battlefield casualties (thus known as ‘Waterloo teeth’). Ash’s teeth, made of porcelain mounted on gold plates, with gold springs and swivels, were considered superior both aesthetically and functionally and laid the foundation of his new enterprise as Britain’s foremost manufacturer of dentures and dental appliances. Originally based in Broad Street (now Broadwick Street), London, the business expanded rapidly and by the mid-nineteenth century Claudius Ash dentures and dental equipment dominated the European market. The case measures 35.56 x 33 x 22.86cm 14” x 13” x 9” and weighs 13.5kg (29Ibs). This is a very rare and high quality set in exceptional condition. Surgical items were manufactured without regard to cost and made in necessarily small numbers and so quality was always paramount