Minneapolis Institute of Art

Abacus

China

Date

c. 1800

Medium

Huang-hua-li and t'zu-tan hardwood

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Chinese abacus, a mechanical counting device, was developed about 5, 000 years ago. It was built of wood and beads and could be easily carried. The form of abacus we know today appeared around 1200 a.d. and is called suan-pan . This classic type has two heads on the upper deck and five on the lower. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are possible with the abacus, and in the hands of a skilled operator, it is faster than a mechanical calculator. Made of precious hardwoods, this abacus was likely used in a large, aristocratic household for keeping financial accounts. China, Asia

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.