This wooden rectangular rule is reported to be a Persian drah, or pic, and said to have been used for measuring dry goods. It is divided on two sides by roughly cut arrows and vertical lines. One side has Persian characters inside circles at both ends. On that side, the divisions are at: 4.5, 8.8*, 13.2, 17.4*, 21.5, 25.9, 30.0, 34.3*, 38.5, 42.7, 47.1, 51.2*, 55.5, 59.7*, and 64.1 cm. Divisions with an * are marked with an arrow rather than a line on the rule. These divisions are spaced apart 1 centimeter further than the divisions on another Persian drah, 1979.0991.01. On the other side, all of the divisions are vertical lines, at: 11.7, 23.0, 34.2, 45.5, and 57.0 cm.
In 1892 the U.S. Department of State transferred this object to the Smithsonian.
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