|
|
Article: Scales and balances. (antiques)
- Article from:
- Interior Design
- Article date:
- September 1, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. (US). This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Scales and Balances
Market: Antiques
From the tiniest jeweler's beamscale to the oversized contraption devised to weigh farm animals, scales have been created to serve specific purposes. The function has dictated the design, and from the beginning scales were strictly utilitarian. And since the objects to be measured were so diverse in size and shape, many varieties of scales were invented.
The most common type of scale is a balance--an instrument consisting of a centrally pivoted beam with two containers of equal weight on either end. This kind of scale has been used since classical times, and is traditionally made of brass with a wood base. ...