Description:

Pre-Columbian, Peru, Chimu, ca. 1100 to 1470 CE. A balance scale for measuring, the wood pans suspended from a bone balance beam via cotton cords. The bone may be from an ungulate or camelid, such as an alpaca or llama, and the surface is painted with red (mercury) and black stepped motifs. The petite, portable size made this piece ideal for travel, imagine these scales being carried and used in a bustling marketplace. There is no evidence that measurements were ever standardized, but were probably weighed in relation to other items. Such small scales that are relatively delicate and may have been used for weighing feathers which were nearly as precious as gold and silver, or other lightweight items. Size: 3" L x 2.3" Diameter (7.6 cm x 5.8 cm); 5.75" H (14.6 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Arte Textile, San Francisco, California, USA, 1980s

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#177591

  • Condition: Mercury in the red paint. Stable fissure on wood pan. Bone beam is intact and very good condition.

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September 8, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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