Cotton scale with weight
date: label: Date
content: mid 19th-mid 20th century
name: label: Manufactured by
content: Unidentified
label: Owned by
content: Acacia Historical Arts International, Inc., American, founded 1989
notes: label: Description
content: A pea scale, also known as a cotton scale, balance scale, or a steelyard balance. The scale is comprised of two parts: a scale with an elongated, tapered bar of steel ending in a hook, and a weight that can be hung along the length of the scale.
label: Description
content: 2017.108.23.62a: At one end of the scale is a J shaped hook for hanging a sack of cotton. On the other end of the scale are weight measurement markings and notches at the top for holding the weights in place. They scale has twenty notches between each number with deeper notches every four notches. One side of the scale is marked [5], [10], [15], [20], [25], and [30]. The other side is marked [20], [40], [60], [80], [100], and [120]. There is a round hole near the edge of the notched side of the scale. Close to the J shaped hook is a swivel hanging hook and a swivel loop hanger for suspending the scale.
label: Description
content: 2017.108.23.62b: The scale weight, or pea, is bell shaped and has a meal loop at the top with a hook threaded through. The hook is thin at the top, allowing it to rest within the notches of the scale. The weight is marked with the number [4] molded on the top. The weight is solid except for a keyhole shape on the bottom.
place: label: Place used
content: United States
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Agriculture
label: Topic
content: Cotton
label: Topic
content: Labor
label: Topic
content: Slavery
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Tools and Equipment
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.108.23.62ab
objectType: label: Type
content: steelyards
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: iron
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2017.108.23.62a): 29 5/8 × 6 11/16 × 1 9/16 in. (75.2 × 17 × 4 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2017.108.23.62b): 7 5/8 × 2 11/16 × 2 11/16 in. (19.3 × 6.9 × 6.9 cm)