Object Details
Description
This wooden rectangular rule is reported to be a Persian drah, or pic, and said to have been used for measuring dry goods. It is divided on two sides by roughly cut arrows and vertical lines. One side has Persian characters inside circles at both ends. On that side, the divisions are at: 4.5, 8.8*, 13.2, 17.4*, 21.5, 25.9, 30.0, 34.3*, 38.5, 42.7, 47.1, 51.2*, 55.5, 59.7*, and 64.1 cm. Divisions with an * are marked with an arrow rather than a line on the rule. These divisions are spaced apart 1 centimeter further than the divisions on another Persian drah, 1979.0991.01. On the other side, all of the divisions are vertical lines, at: 11.7, 23.0, 34.2, 45.5, and 57.0 cm.
In 1892 the U.S. Department of State transferred this object to the Smithsonian.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Transfer from the U.S. Department of State
date made
19th century
ID Number
1979.0991.02
accession number
1979.0991
catalog number
166898
Object Name
rule
scale rule
Physical Description
iron (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 1.5 cm x 68.2 cm x .3 cm; 19/32 in x 26 27/32 in x 1/8 in
See more items in
Medicine and Science: Mathematics
Science & Mathematics
Scale Rules
Measuring & Mapping
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Mathematics
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_904681