Measuring stick

Museum number:
3-27340
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21030027340
Accession number:
Acc.3117
Description:
Measuring stick (vara stick); carved rectangular section of wood broken and mended w/screws; pyroengraved (branded) "A M" in circle at both ends of both sides; length 83.cm. Native name and meaning: vara. Context of use: measure, cf. 3-27338-39; This example formerly used in a drygoods store. The mark "A M" probably stands for Administracion Mercantil, and is placed on both sides in such a way to show if any length has been fraudulently shaved from the ends.
Donor:
Bancroft Library (UC Berkeley)
Collection place:
El Salvador
Verbatim coll. place:
Republic of Salvador
Collector:
John W. Gilmore
Collection date:
unknown
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Carvings (visual works)
Function:
7.3 Weights, Measures, and Computing Devices
Department:
Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean area
Images:
Hearst Museum object 1 of 2 titled Measuring stick, accession number 3-27340, described as Measuring stick (vara stick); carved rectangular section of wood broken and mended w/screws; pyroengraved (branded) "A M" in circle at both ends of both sides; length 83.cm. Native name and meaning: vara. Context of use: measure, cf. 3-27338-39; This example formerly used in a drygoods store. The mark "A M" probably stands for Administracion Mercantil, and is placed on both sides in such a way to show if any length has been fraudulently shaved from the ends.Hearst Museum object 2 of 2 titled Measuring stick, accession number 3-27340, described as Measuring stick (vara stick); carved rectangular section of wood broken and mended w/screws; pyroengraved (branded) "A M" in circle at both ends of both sides; length 83.cm. Native name and meaning: vara. Context of use: measure, cf. 3-27338-39; This example formerly used in a drygoods store. The mark "A M" probably stands for Administracion Mercantil, and is placed on both sides in such a way to show if any length has been fraudulently shaved from the ends.
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Measuring stick, accession number 3-27340, described as Measuring stick (vara stick); carved rectangular section of wood broken and mended w/screws; pyroengraved (branded) "A M" in circle at both ends of both sides; length 83.cm. Native name and meaning: vara. Context of use: measure, cf. 3-27338-39; This example formerly used in a drygoods store. The mark "A M" probably stands for Administracion Mercantil, and is placed on both sides in such a way to show if any length has been fraudulently shaved from the ends.Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Measuring stick, accession number 3-27340, described as Measuring stick (vara stick); carved rectangular section of wood broken and mended w/screws; pyroengraved (branded) "A M" in circle at both ends of both sides; length 83.cm. Native name and meaning: vara. Context of use: measure, cf. 3-27338-39; This example formerly used in a drygoods store. The mark "A M" probably stands for Administracion Mercantil, and is placed on both sides in such a way to show if any length has been fraudulently shaved from the ends.

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