Media available: legacy documentation / Accession number: Acc.2967 / Function: 7.3 Weights, Measures, and Computing Devices - Hearst Museum Portal Search Results

Start Over Media available legacy documentation Accession number Acc.2967 Function 7.3 Weights, Measures, and Computing Devices

Hearst Museum object titled Scale, accession number 9-12115, described as Balance; jeweller’s; iron handle and beam with a circular, bowl-like brass pan suspended by 3 iron chains from each end; formerly ysed by jewellers for weighing out small items. Often used with red beans, lal val, as a unit of measurement, or tola weights, now superceded by grams, the legal unit of measurement, the metric system. This specimen was sold by a Hindu dealer in Parsi metal goods after much persuasion, since its use is allegedly illegal, rendering possessors of old balances and weights subject to prosecution.

Hearst Museum object titled Weights, accession number 9-12116a-l, described as Weights; stacked set of twelve, graduated from 50 tolas to 1/8 tola; (1 tola =180 grains, 437.5 grains = 1 oz., or 1 tola = 11.664 grams); brass, circular, stamped with designated weight on upper surface, inspectors marks below; weights of 10-50 tolas adjusted with lead cores on undersurface; although an Indian unit of measurement, these weights were made after British prototypes in terms of design. Adjustment with lead cores also has British precedents, as does the practice of stamping the undersurface with the inspector’s mark. Tolas now replaced by the metric system, so that at the time of collection it was supposed to be illegal for tradesman to even have old weights in their possession. These were obtained after much coercion from a Hindu dealer in Parsi metal goods.