Description
Ponderal; Nuremberg, Germany, c. 1800. Patinated bronze. Measurements: 15 x 17 x 13 cm. The ponderal of nested vessels are a set of weights in the form of a cup or vessel, all of which fit precisely into each other. It is considered a complete set when it fully preserves all its original vessels. The largest, called the keeper, consists of a top lid with handle and clasp, and weighs exactly the same as the sum of all the others. The second in decreasing order weighs half as much as the guardador, and the same as the sum of the rest. This proportionality is maintained until the last weight, called the disc or last piece, which is usually solid and acts as the closure of the game. This principle will remain unchanged until the introduction of the decimal metric system.
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