Set of 6 Japanese Scale Rules Signed Fujishima
date: label: date made
content: before 1876
name: label: maker
content: Fujishima
notes: label: Description
content: A rectangular paulownia wood case has a red and white sticker on the right end marked: No. 45 (/) M. Inside the case are six bamboo rulers, four that are just over 12" (about 31 cm) long and two that are 2-1/4" (15.5 cm).
label: Description
content: The first rule is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. It is also marked: 3500. The scales along both edges are identical, 30 cm long, divided to single units, and numbered by twenties from 0 to 1,040. The back of the rule is stamped in red: METRE. It is also marked: 1 (/) 3500. It is also marked: 1.
label: Description
content: The second rule is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. It is also marked: 50. The scales along both edges are identical, 12" long, divided to tenths of a unit, and numbered by ones from 0 to 72. The back of the rule is stamped in red: INCH. It is also marked: 1 (/) 50. It is also marked: 4.
label: Description
content: The third rule is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. It is also marked: 25. Both edges have scales for 1" to the foot and 1/2" to the foot along one edge. The back of the rule is stamped in red: FOOT. It is also stamped: 1 (/) 25. It is also stamped: 2.
label: Description
content: The fourth rule is marked in Japanese: Made by Fujishima. It is also marked: 2500. The scales along both edges are identical, 30 cm long, divided to single units, and numbered by tens from 0 to 750. The back of the rule is stamped in red: METRE. It is also marked: 1 (/) 250 (not 2,500). It is also marked: 6.
label: Description
content: The fifth and sixth rules have scales that are 1-15/16" long. Both rules are divided along both edges into four units that are subdivided into tenths. On the fifth rule, the scales are numbered by tens from 0 to 40. The back is stamped in red: 1 (/) 250. It is also stamped in red: 13. The scales on the sixth rule are numbered by ones from 0 to 4. The back is stamped in red: 1 (/) 25. It is also stamped in red: 2.
label: Description
content: These rules were likely used in engineering and architectural drawing. Compare to MA.261283, MA.261284, MA.261285, and MA.261287. The rules were exhibited by the Japanese Empire Department of Education at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. They then were displayed by the Museum of the U.S. Bureau of Education until 1906 and transferred to the Smithsonian National Museum in 1910. For more information, see MA.261298 and MA.261313.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Japan
topic: label: Subject
content: Mathematics
label: Subject
content: Expositions and Fairs
label: Subject
content: Rule, Measuring
label: Subject
content: Drafting, Engineering
label: Subject
content: Drawing Instruments
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Mathematics
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content: Science & Mathematics
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content: Scale Rules
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transfer from Bureau of Education, Department of the Interior
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: MA.261286
label: catalog number
content: 261286
label: accession number
content: 51116
objectType: label: Object Name
content: scale rules, set of
label: Object Name
content: rules, set of
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: bamboo (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4.2 cm x 33 cm x 4.6 cm; 1 21/32 in x 13 in x 1 13/16 in