Beautiful Antique Folding Bold Ruler, Six Inches unusual planter "If a barrel of beer

"If a barrel of beer be sufficient to let a family of 7 persons 12 days

What made me fall in love with it is the construction

Matches measure 2 9/16" l

and perhaps sketched on site while visiting a New York museum

Rhode Island

Beautiful Antique Folding Bold Ruler, Six Inches unusual planter "If a barrel of beerI found what appears to be an exact match of this lovely little bone and brass folding ruler that dates it to 1820 or so; I don't know for certain, but definitely 19th century, and most definitely a really wonderful little object. The numbering on the inches is pretty faint at this point but can still be read, as can the lines dividing each inch into eighths. A fantastic gift for an architect or anyone who frequently takes the measure of things,