51 cm/3380 g.
When you are born, length and weight are the first measurements that are made. Next to name and recorded sex, they are the first data points that are communicated to the outside world. Excessive attention is given to these two numbers, just like excessive attention is given to the dimensions of artworks.
The exact dimensions I had when I was born are made physical again in this iron rod. Meticulously filed and polished to the right weight, its middle diameter is slightly smaller than the ends. The dimples on either end (the result of the machining process) make the shape a bit less hermetic. You can hold the rod as if it were a baby, a telescope, or a baseball bat. It feels a lot heavier than most people think.
It is made of pure iron, so to avoid corrosion it has to be regularly polished with very fine sandpaper. If well maintained, it will last many lifetimes.
