Very Rare 1/4 Baht, Lanna, Elephant Bronze Weight

A beautiful opium weight representing an elephant on an elongated octagonal base. The base is 3 or 4 steps high.
I can't truly tell if there is a validation mark on the front side. However this is a typical example of an elephant weight with elongated base telling me it's most likely from the Chiang Mai or Chiang Saen - the northern region of Thailand, and part of the Lanna kingdom. Definetly from the Lanna kingdom and 1700's.

Weight: 1/4 Baht = 3 Grams

The Lanna kingdom did take the Burmese bird weights into consideration, however kept their own weights, and the weight unit of around 12.2.

The longer and a bit more elongated octagonal base a a look preserved throughout the 1700's til the beginnig of the 1800's, with the mark of either Chiang Saen or Chiang Mai.

Finding elephant weights weighing more than 5 Baht/65 grams is very unusual and exceedingly rare! So keep an eye out for those in the future. Thisis because elephant weights were generally used for smaller quantities.
And in the other end of the specrtrum we have this one which weights 1/4 Baht (3 Grams). This is also very rare and unusual to find!

Sorry for a bit unclear pictures, they will be updated in the future! Otherwise just contact me for pictures or more info on the piece.
Kind Regards,
Theodor Knutzen, Antiqua Gallery

Provenance: Ex. Private Collection, Netherlands.

Culture & Year: Lanna Kingdom - Thailand, 1774 AD.

Litterature Reference: Leif Bering Mikkelsen. Opium Weights - Old Animal-shaped Bronze Weights from Southeast Asia. Commercial, ethnic, symbolic and historical perspectives. 2017.

Condition: Very fine.

Heigth: 1.1 cm
Length: 1 cm
Width: 0.8 cm