Antique Chinese Daching Weighing Scale Steelyard
by Steve Taylor
Title
Antique Chinese Daching Weighing Scale Steelyard
Artist
Steve Taylor
Medium
Photograph - Digital Art
Description
In days of old chinese traders used the "daching". On one side of the rod hangs the pan with pointer/fulcrum and the weight hangs on the other side of the rod for counterbalance. The rod is engraved with dots markings which are used as counters for weights. The 3 strings on the rod serve as balances.
Weighing an object requires putting it on the pan and the weight be moved along the long arm of the rod. At the place where the counterpoise keeps the rod exactly horizontal and the pointer/fulcrum aligned, the weight of the object is indicated on the engraved scale on the rod.
The chinese "daching" weighing scales are also known as opium scales. They are a type of steelyard. The chinese "daching" originated in China and were first mentioned in western literature in the 17th century as "dotchin" scales. They were used to weigh silver, gold, gems and medicinal powder/herbs.
THese scales are known as a steelyard balance, steelyard, stilyard, Roman steelyard or Roman balance.
Uploaded
September 22nd, 2019
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