A rare and unusual late 18th-century lacquered brass chest microscope, signed on the cruciform stage NAIRNE & BLUNT, LONDON, the body-tube with eye-piece dust slide, located on a limb fitted to the upper part of the square-section pillar, sliding adjustment to the stage with clamp and finescrew focusing, with plano-concave mirror, the lower limb with compass joint and threaded brass to locate in a socket on the shaped cover of the ebony-strung mahogany cabinet, with a quantity of accessories including objective sliders, a bull's-eye condenser sprung stage slide holder, live box tweezers and other items, the cabinet with lions-mask carrying handle and accessory drawer, 11½in. (29.2cm.) wide