19th-century steelyard scale for olives and oil

The late 19th-century three-axis balance scale on display here serves as an important historical example of weighing instruments used to measure the weight of olives and olive oil in the past.
Crafted by skilled artisans from Piedmont in the late 1800s, the balance highlights the significance of the olive oil industry in Sardinia during that historical period.

Constructed using high-quality materials such as solid wood, iron, and brass, the balance demonstrates the skill of the craftsmen of the time and the care in selecting materials. The structure is sturdy and stable, with a large and durable weighing platform of 100 cm x 140 cm, suitable for weighing both olives and containers used for storing and transporting olive oil. The three graduated bars allow for a wide range of weights to be measured with great accuracy.

Each bar features a different measuring scale, and one of the bars was used to set a predefined tare, thus making it easier to determine the net weight of the contents without considering the weight of the container. The operator had to carefully move the weights along the various graduated bars until reaching the ideal balance, demonstrating considerable skill and patience.