Portable scale consisting of an ivory scale beam marked in black dots and a brass pan with four pierced holes along the rim tied with black thread; the weight is missing. The scale is stored in a fiddle-shaped bamboo case hollowed out on the inside. The case is in two halves and slides horizontally; it is riveted at one end and secured by a wickerwork loop. The Chinese character 'zheng', meaning honest, is inscribed in black on the lid of the case.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
