Accession number: Acc.3314 / Function: 7.3 Weights, Measures, and Computing Devices - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Accession number Acc.3314 Function 7.3 Weights, Measures, and Computing Devices

Hearst Museum object titled Abacus, wood, accession number 9-13656, described as Abacus; painted black wood; brass fittings at corners and across bar; 13 columns of beads on bamboo rods; Made by men. Ubiquitous in business. Purchased curio/2nd hand shop.

Hearst Museum object titled Abacus, wood, accession number 9-13655, described as Abacus; black painted wood with brass fittings at corners and across bar; 5 columns of wood beads strung on bamboo rods; small abacuses are rare. This specimen can calculate up to 10,000 says one informant. Made by men. Purchased in curio/2nd hand shop.

Hearst Museum object titled Balance, accession number 9-13632a-c, described as Balance; a) beam, wood, brass inlaid markings, 51 cm long; b) iron weight, 4.75cm; c) bamboo basket pan, 21cm across narrow end.

Hearst Museum object titled Balance, accession number 9-13631a,b, described as Balance; a - beam, wood, 95.5 cm long; metal inlaid markings; b - copper pan, diam. 19.5 cm China, Hong Kong, New Territories Wood, iron, leather, cotton, copper made by men. Still used as legal weighing device. Pan supplied seems disproportionately small. In villages this size would be kept by village elders for apportioning harvests. Weighs up to 100 catties. Purchased in curio/second hand shop.

Hearst Museum object titled Book, accession number 9-13657, described as Abacus manual: “the Fundamental Operations in Bead Arithmetic”; picture of a Chinese teacher and three students using the abacus on the front cover; instruction on how to use the abacus