Masks to hold a nose in place after an operation. Illustration from Gaspare Tagliacozzi's book on plastic surgery, De Curtorum Chirurgia Per Institionem (1597). Tagliacozzi (1547-1599) was an Italian plastic surgeon. Although reconstructive surgery had been practiced for years, with documented procedures in ancient India, Tagliacozzi popularized the field, and particularly rhinoplasty, in the 16th century.