Hello, Everyone,
I have found your forum very interesting and wish to share this set of 3 what I classify as Chinthe. They are obviously very different from most I've seen, and per the statements on this forum, the addition of details are used by fakers to attract tourists to buy their wares. However, the amount of detail on these three makes me wonder why a faker would go to such detail, especially since most people will be looking for weights similar to those they see everywhere and in collections.
As you say on the forum, in the old days, before British rule, and even after, most people who used these weights wanted to see the normal, common weights used to weigh their goods. However, my main question is, given the level of detail on these weights I found, isn't it possible that all weights were not worn to the same amount? I.E. I have read on this forum that some people used the weights as art on their family shrines, etc. I find it hard to believe that every old weight we find has the same amount of wear! Also, it takes a lot of usage to wear smooth a piece of metal, just from the touch of human hands.
The copper inserts on the flanks of my Chinthe, at least on the largest, appears to have a name or maker's mark on it, but I don't read Burmese, or even Chinese, although I have deciphered marks on Chinese pottery at times. It also appears to have a 9 Pointed Star mark on the back left flank,but the faint marking appears to be raised, not indented as it would be if added later, and I sometimes seem to see a "bird" mark incised on the flank, along with a mark that resembles the Thai "snake" weight mark, although both of these marks are also worn and hard to see except in certain lights.
The smallest weight is very similar to one posted by Amulets333, on FriJuly27.2012 in this same thread, "Burmese animal-shaped weights, unusal or odd weights" the photo DSCNO841 and 840, with the copper inserts. The largest weight is 334g, the middle is 100g and the smallest is 50g. Please click on the photos to get to an enlargement.
opweightbigclsupmark.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
GEDC0630.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
GEDC0623.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
GEDC0616.JPG - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)
I am having trouble getting these photos uploaded, for some reason, so will just post these that i have inserted. I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to look at my pics. If you click on the pics, and then click on that to get a good enlargement, you can see a lot of the details.
Also, I would like to add, being a newbie, that I do have questions, and I am not going to cry if people say things I don't want to hear! I enjoy a good, polite discussion!
Sincerely,
Randi

These are most definitely modern reproductions........