2 Tical Late To Type Opium Weight

This Late To type opium weight features an octagonal base with three horizontal lines around it, which sometimes resemble steps. The figure lacks a star mark or validation mark. The To figure has an elevated, horse-like tail with three spikes, each representing a country within the empire (Burma, Lanna, and Ayutthaya). The chest of the animal is adorned with a chain of small circles.

Provenance: Ex. Private Collection, Netherlands.

Culture & Date: Approx. 1765 - 1830 AD.

Literature Reference: Leif Bering Mikkelsen. Opium Weights - Old Animal-shaped Bronze Weights from Southeast Asia: Commercial, Ethnic, Symbolic, and Historical Perspectives. 2017.

Condition: Very fine, with a nice bronze patina.

Dimensions:

• Weight: 2 Tical (35 grams)
• Height: 3 cm
• Length: 2.3 cm
• Width: 2 cm

Historical Context:

This To type weight could likely be from the reign of King Hsinbyushin (1736 - 1776), associated with his war campaigns in Manipur, Lanna, and Siam, or shortly thereafter. The production of lion-like bronze weights largely ceased around 1826 following Burma's loss in the First Anglo-Burmese War. The To type weight lost its significance and relevance when Burma came under foreign rule, as these weights were a symbol of the ruler's authority—without a ruling monarch, their symbolic production no longer made sense.