Hamsa (Late Shan) from 1800's

nother Hamsa Opium weight with stripes along the neck, tail, and base, which is octagonal. The weight is from around the beginning of the 1800s. It has small spots of greenish bronze patina, especially under the belly and legs. The figure features a hexagonal base, one cockscomb spike, and neck ridges.

This Hamsa/Shan Duck is part of the last released groups of Burmese standard weights, issued during the Konbaung Period (1752 - 1885). This example dates no earlier than the 1800s.

Burmese standard weights were produced by official sites appointed by the king or leader of the country. This centralized production resulted in consistent stylistic tendencies over time, although it also led to the creation of forgeries and unofficial weights.

Despite these stylistic trends, late Shan or Hamsa weights are essentially simplified copies of the older Mon ducks and Golden Hamsas.

Weight: 10 Tical = 163 grams

Provenance: Ex. Private Collection, Netherlands.

Culture & Year: Burmese, 1800 - 1860 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.

Dimensions:

• Height: 5.3 cm
• Length: 3.9 cm
• Width: 2.8 cm