Apothecary's balance, steel beam, brass pans
Apothecary's balance with steel beam and brass pans, cords for suspending pans now missing
Rectangular, painted wooden chest containing 3 balances, stand, weights and accessories, Persian, 1801-1900
This elaborately decorated box contains three separate sets of scales, with a stand. It also contains weights and tweezers of varying sizes which slot into custom-made compartments. These may have been used within the medicine and jewellery trades. Both trades required the precise measurements of goods. The scales suspend two disk-shaped pans off either end of a horizontal pole. The weights in either pan must be equal for the pole to remain horizontal.
Apothecary's balance with steel beam and brass pans, cords for suspending pans now missing
Tiny apothecary's balance, with steel beam and tiny brass pans suspended from pink silk cord
Stand from which the various balances hang. Fits into slot in box to keep it steady, sliding inner rod to raise or lower balance
Beam or measure in 2 pieces which screws together
Elaborately decorated large tweezers
Small tweezers with key-hole shape finial, surmounted by turned point
Short tweezers, bent ends, long pointed finial
Steel dividers(?), hinged at top, ornate finial
Steel dividers, 2 arms with second arm on one ornate hinge
Set of 12 brass weights, of unknown denomination, tapering cylinder shape, with knob
Small square brass weight, with 16 punched on obverse, stored in box with smaller balance
5 small yellowish seeds, in small compartment with lid
Rectangular, painted wooden chest for 3 balances, stand, weights and accessories, Persian, 1801-1900