This weight is a real favorite. It feels like it came from another planet. I have two of this general style. I have not a clue what to make of them. They have age, for sure. Beyond that... I simply don’t know. Anyone have thoughts on these babies?



The little brother spaceman...



Details suggest Group 1A. Again, the underlying style is there, but these are quite unusual, eh?

Hi Owen

Thank you for sharing your weights.

Your futuristic weights with less detailed motif appear identical to my weight.

Im my opinion these weights are from Shan and probably dating to 19 century

Maungchung,

Thanks for reposting this comment. (But the photolink doesn't seem to work for the image you've posted above.) I saw the post in the other thread and was quite confused about what it was referring to. I will add more comments over there later. I’m digging through my weights now. I just thought I’d post an odd one or two.

Yes, you are right about the probable dating, but the aesthetic on these is highly unusual. That’s the reason to show them. These have a stark, beaux-arts feel. You would expect this, say, like the Chrysler Building, as a product of a later aesthetic period.

These are the dominant Shan motifs, below. It does seem that these (above) are part of this larger family, but I really wonder what they story really is behind this design of the two above.



Just another gratuitous photo...



Showing the subtle styling differences.

Then, of course, there's that odd, apparently final, Shan group that look like these:



More later.

Just back from Myanmar. Saw this fine specimen in Mandalay. Couldn't convince the owner to part with it. sigh.

Love these.



Anybody seen others like these?

Owen

I fear the collector will want much more than I’m willing to spend on this.

What’s strange about this little bird is that it was offered to me some years ago. I’m pretty sure it was in Yangon, and it’s now in Mandalay. There can be no doubt in my mind, because the topknot has a piece broken off. Can’t be two exactly like this with exactly the same break. I didn't buy it the first time, because it was broken. It was cheaper then, too. sigh.

Still, I just love the look. Maybe some metal-smith’s teenage kid was doing his apprenticeship while reading SF. I’m still hoping someone might show up with something similar, or just equally as cool.


*** I'm also hoping more people will write and post images. More contributors please! ! !

I saw a very similiar weight in Braun No 10. Please don't ask me for more ...
hartmut mollat

This is the weight you asked for mr. Owen, but now BIG 769 grammes, 3 head knobbes, period A 1875-1885 (Gear), brassy (no problem/late 19e century).



The other picture I give are 3 simular birds, same period A, but now with 2 head knobs (1 bronze, 2 brass) (7, 17 and 34 grammes).

I wanted to share a futuristic 20 tical weight (320 gr) very similar to the "spaceman" shared by Owen several years ago (2007) long time before I joined the forum. This one has slight differences (tail, neck) and was found it in Shan State a long time ago.



I also have a small 2 tical one (32 gr) with also a kind of modern "style" head.



Then, also found like the first one in the Inle -Taunggyi area (Shan): a late type hintha weight (H4D - Gear Group 1) 20 tical weight (325 gr) with flower-shape marks on the base. Does anybody has seen similar marks?



In my case our colleague Maungchung was right to say these weight are referred as Shan weights…

Thank You for your comments.

Franck