Before digital scales were invented, objects were weighed by "balancing" the object against another group of objects whose weights were already known and could be added-up. On one side of the balance, a measure of grain. On the other side of the scale, a group of counterweights which balance the weight of the grain.
The handsome—and sculptural—industrial scale weights, shown above, were made in the early Twentieth Century. Each brass weight (raging from .8 ounces to 10 pounds) is marked with its weight. These counterweights would have been used, in combination, to ascertain the weight of some other object. Add and subtract weights until balance is achieved. Then, simply add-up the total weight of the multiple counterweights.
These weights, though not often used today, are a handsome reminder of yesteryear's technology. Today, they can be used as doorstops, bookends, or just a Modernist sculptural grouping. Click on the photo above to learn more about them.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248