Back to exhibition

Shakespeare Connected - Marking Time in Shakespeare’s England

BUSHEL MEASURE

Dates were not just used to commemorate events of personal or familial pride, but also added a stamp of authenticity onto an object. A date carried a sense of authority, not least because they were used in legal documents. This quarter-bushel measure has been dated for that very reason. From medieval times, fixed measures had been established across the country for quantities of dry and liquid goods, yet there was still substantial variation and confusion. This dated measure was commissioned by the Stratford-Upon-Avon Corporation as part of the wider struggle to control and impose standards.

 

Click the arrow to the right of the image to continue.