Historical information

A pair of scales or dishes in which objects to be weighed and the weights / masses against which to weigh them are placed is an "Apparatus for weighing. The pan, or each of the pans, of a balance."
These common kitchen / dairy scales would be used by the householder to weigh flour, sugar, cereal, vegetables, fruit, meats, butter, cheese etc. prior to cooking or storing .
Its parts include a fulcrum, a beam that balances on it, two pans at the ends of the beam to hold the materials to be weighed, and counter-balancing weights.

Physical description

Its parts include a fulcrum, a beam that balances on it, two pans at the ends of the beam to hold the materials to be weighed, and counter-balancing weights.. A set of steel weighing scales with a balance beam that holds 2 brass dishes in which are 7 brass weights. The object/ substance to be weighed is placed in 1 dish and the weights are added to the other dish until the two dishes balance equally on the beam.
The base is engraved with '4 lbs' thus indicating that this set will balance up to that weight.

Inscriptions & markings

scales 4 lbs ( 4 Pounds )
each weight is marked with its weight in Imperial Measure 1 0z = 1 ounce to 4lb