An Evaluation of a Bronze Pan with the Inscription BANNAF in the Pera Museum

Abstract

The Collection of Anatolian Weights and Measures of the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Pera Museum has an extensive selection of objects that provides information about the economic, social, and cultural life in Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean regions. Part of the collection consists of equal arm balance scales and equipment of these scales. In this article, a bronze object from the collection, a scale pan dating back to the Roman period, is evaluated. This previously unpublished object is compared to other known examples of similar pans to determine its function, date the object, and examine the stamp on the pan. Since this object is the only known example of pans with BANNAF inscriptions in Turkish museums, it will greatly contribute to the understanding of pans with BANNAF inscriptions that will appear in future archaeological studies and museum research in Türkiye.