Copy of forceps, perhaps obstetrical, bronze, from sculpture in birth chamber at Kom-Ombos, Egypt

Forceps can be used for a number of applications that involve gripping something large. This example is a bronze replica made from a sculpture found in the birth chamber at Kom-Ombos in Egypt. It is not known what the original forceps were intended for, but they may have assisted women during childbirth.

The unusual double temple at Kom-Ombos was created during the Ptolemaic era about 180 BCE. It contains a very early engraving depicting surgical instruments including forceps such as these. The temple had its own large birth chamber; a feature unique to Ptolemaic temples. The birth house was mostly swept away by the Nile in the 1800s, but some ruins can still be seen.