Description
Armed magnet stone. Nizhny Tagil, Ural Mountains. Late 18th century. Magnetite (Fe3O4) paving stone, mounted with mild steel armor forming the two poles, in a gilded copper oval-section cage with openwork decoration. Marking under the cage on two lines: КАМЕ[НЪ] ВЕ[СОМЪ] 5 ФУ[НТА] / ПОДНИ[МАЕТЪ] ВЕ[СЪ] 20 ФУ[НТА] ("Stone weighing 5 pounds lifts a weight of 20 pounds"). The stone weighing 2048 g is therefore capable of lifting a weight of 8190 g, i.e. 4 times its own weight. It is presented with a large iron anchor (probably later). Height with ring: 19 cm; 13.5 x 9 cm; total weight with armor and cage: 4200 g "Natural magnets are almost always fitted with two armatures (also called armor) made of soft iron, fixed on either side of their constituent mass, and held together by brass or bronze (non-magnetic) rings. The lower part of these armatures terminates in two heels, which constitute the poles of opposite names, north and south. A piece of soft iron known as the "contact", or "support", rests on the two heels, and is influenced by the two armatures. The assembly reacts to the particle currents of the natural magnet, directing them more strongly and increasing the magnetic power. Without an armature, natural magnets are very weak. Once armored, they become capable of carrying progressively increasing weights, up to a certain limit". (École Polytechnique website). Akinfy Nikititch Demidov is said to have started collecting magnet stones with this specimen. His contemporaries are said to have seen a 14-pound (approx. 5.7 kg) magnet stone at his home, lifting a poud barrel (16.38 kg), i.e. with a ratio of 2.87. The inventory of A. Demidov's estate at the time of his death included 74 magnets of various sizes. The largest is the famous Nizhny Tagil Stufe: it has been supporting a weight of around 50 kg for almost 300 years. The Nizhny Tagil Museum holds three examples. The State Historical Museum (ГИМ) has a collection of at least 18 featured in the 2004 catalog "Мелный век России" (The Copper Century in Russia). No. 320 is very close to the example shown, dated to the second half of the 18th century, without further precision, but its oval shape, is characterized as unusual. All the other examples shown are straight or cut-angle pavers.
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Armed magnet stone. Nizhny Tagil, Ural Mountains. Late 18th century. Magnetite (Fe3O4) paving stone, mounted with mild steel armor forming the two poles, in a gilded copper oval-section cage with openwork decoration. Marking under the cage on two lines: КАМЕ[НЪ] ВЕ[СОМЪ] 5 ФУ[НТА] / ПОДНИ[МАЕТЪ] ВЕ[СЪ] 20 ФУ[НТА] ("Stone weighing 5 pounds lifts a weight of 20 pounds"). The stone weighing 2048 g is therefore capable of lifting a weight of 8190 g, i.e. 4 times its own weight. It is presented with a large iron anchor (probably later). Height with ring: 19 cm; 13.5 x 9 cm; total weight with armor and cage: 4200 g "Natural magnets are almost always fitted with two armatures (also called armor) made of soft iron, fixed on either side of their constituent mass, and held together by brass or bronze (non-magnetic) rings. The lower part of these armatures terminates in two heels, which constitute the poles of opposite names, north and south. A piece of soft iron known as the "contact", or "support", rests on the two heels, and is influenced by the two armatures. The assembly reacts to the particle currents of the natural magnet, directing them more strongly and increasing the magnetic power. Without an armature, natural magnets are very weak. Once armored, they become capable of carrying progressively increasing weights, up to a certain limit". (École Polytechnique website). Akinfy Nikititch Demidov is said to have started collecting magnet stones with this specimen. His contemporaries are said to have seen a 14-pound (approx. 5.7 kg) magnet stone at his home, lifting a poud barrel (16.38 kg), i.e. with a ratio of 2.87. The inventory of A. Demidov's estate at the time of his death included 74 magnets of various sizes. The largest is the famous Nizhny Tagil Stufe: it has been supporting a weight of around 50 kg for almost 300 years. The Nizhny Tagil Museum holds three examples. The State Historical Museum (ГИМ) has a collection of at least 18 featured in the 2004 catalog "Мелный век России" (The Copper Century in Russia). No. 320 is very close to the example shown, dated to the second half of the 18th century, without further precision, but its oval shape, is characterized as unusual. All the other examples shown are straight or cut-angle pavers.
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