Peek inside a rare collection of 17th century ivory medical dolls. These anatomical "manikins" are kept at the New York Academy of Medicine, yet there is a lot of mystery surrounding their existence. Their exact use is still unknown to the people who study them. What we do know is that around 100 of them still exist. It's thought that some of the dolls could have been used to walk women through the phases of pregnancy, as they all have a little fetus buried under layers of removable ivory organs. The mystery surrounding these beautiful dolls makes them all the more intriguing to me.
"The New York Academy of Medicine is home to an extremely rare collection: intricate, ivory anatomical models from the 17th century. (Note that the term "manikin" was used instead of "mannequin" as it denotes a figure with articulated limbs.) Watch this episode of Object of Intrigue to learn more. "
