Hello.We miss you but needed some time away. Our shop is open & you may place orders, but they will not be shipped till May 27th. Thank you for understanding.
This handsome 19th century balance scale was used in French markets for weighing produce and dry goods. Joseph Béranger (1802-1870), the maker of this scale, invented his Pendulous System of Levers, which became known as beranger scales, in 1845. They were known to be extremely well constructed. We've included a copy of Beranger's handwritten "Notice Abrégée sur le Nouvel Instrument de Pesage, 1847" {Abridged Guide to the New Weighing Instrument, 1847}.
The body of the piece is ebonized wood, topped with a slab of cast iron, which has retained almost all of its dark green paint. Two thick iron lever arms hold the round brass pans and move up and down when weight is added. The brass pans have the marks of the inspectors who came to test the scale to ensure accurate weight. There is a brass bezel on the front with arrows that indicate the balance point. A strip of unpainted mahogany molding decorates the front.
The raised letters on the top of the scale read top to bottom: PORTEE {capacity} Catenot Beranger et Cie {and company} Brevetee a Lyon {Patented in Lyon} 15 Kg This indicates that the scale could weigh up to 15 kilograms and that it was made after 1857, when Béranger turned the company over to his son-in-law Catenot, and prior to 1866, when Catenot's widow married Benoît Trayvou, who changed the name of the company to Trayvou.
The scale itself is in very good condition, although we can't guarantee if it's still accurate. The convex glass is missing from the front bezel and the arrow on the left is damaged but still works. The base is 20 inches long, 8 inches front to back and 4 inches tall. The iron arms add another two more inches or so. The scale weighs a whopping 17 and will look brilliant decorating your kitchen, your dining room or your shop or restaurant.
