East Asia, China, Qing Dynasty, ca. 1850s CE. A simple bovine bone and brass scale with the original wooden case. The scale is comprised of a bone balance bar with black stippling to indicate measurements and a shallow brass pan. The pan is suspended from the bone beam with thin cords. The scale can collapse and fits inside of the paddle shaped case, which is hand carved from wood and swings open on a rivet. Westerners may think of this as an "opium scale" but these scales were used for weighing many different precious items, such as gold or medicinal herbs. Size of case: 12" L x 3" W (30.5 cm x 7.6 cm); length of bone beam: 10.25" L (26 cm)

Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#162568

Threads are fraying and fragile with knotted areas. Missing brass weight. Loss to tip of wood case. Glue reside on surface of lid. Nice patina on wood and brass.