Burmese animal-shaped weights, miscellaneous

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#1 | H1B to H1C datum

Thu Aug 12, 2021 3:01 pm

H1B to H1C with two transitional forms. 20210812_194900-1.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

5 tical.

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#2 | RE: H1B to H1C datum

Sat Aug 14, 2021 8:13 pm

A good group to show Darwin's evolution. The H1B with octagonal base (between #1 and #2) would probably complete the row.

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#3 | RE: H1B to H1C datum

Mon Aug 16, 2021 3:07 am

Hi Michael, here's another 5 tical transition also at the newer standard. (The Darwin ref made me laugh).
And a 10 tical H1B with a tail kink.20210816_074245-1.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)20210816_073906-1.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)20210816_074506-1.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

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#4 | RE: H1B to H1C datum

Mon Aug 23, 2021 1:30 am

Here is another Hintha 1B (118 g) from about 1640 with smooth surface and remnants of black coating. The second one (right), is a very interesting bird weight (132 g), that shows also rich remnants of black coating.

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#5 | RE: H1B to H1C datum

Mon Aug 23, 2021 9:09 am

Have you speculated at all about the ornate bird, Michael?

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#6 | RE: H1B to H1C datum

Mon Aug 30, 2021 10:40 pm

A good question, Philip!
Not easy to say. Rolf and Ilse Braun show these or similar Hintha weights in #27, 28, 29, 33, 34, 36.
For Leif Bering Mikkelsen these bird weight are "Old Shan Hamsas", appr. 1400 - 1500. There are quite similar lion weights too (Leif Bering Mikkelsen, Opium Weights, Historia 2017, pp. 139-144).
Other collectors see these weights with king Dhammazedi (Hinthawaddy 15th c.). Are there similar weights documented by Donald and Joan Gear anywhere?

They are very similar to the Hintha 1B standard form. So they might be related. But the weight mass doesn't match.
It's interesting to compare the details. You have the vertical double line on the wings that you also usually find at Pumpkin weights, Hintha 1A and Hintha 1B, but not later. So this is a clear feature of the old bird weights around or before 1600. At Hintha 1B you sometimes also find the spiral decoration above the wings on the back (at least on the bigger weights weighing 1/2 or 1 viss).
The standard of the old Burmese Hintha forms is 15 g/tical (as documented in the late 16th c.). These Shan, Mon or Lan Na bird weights are rather between 12 and 14 grams per tical, even in quite good condition.
So there is still space for a lot of speculations, discussions and wishful thinking.
Enjoy!

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#7 | RE: H1B to H1C datum

Sun Sep 19, 2021 7:16 am

Thanks for this interesting post, Michael. I wanted to think about what you wrote before posting. Unfortunately I still must buy Leif Bering Mikkelsen's book. It seems well worth getting.
As well as not having read his book I haven't handled or seen one of these Shan Hamsa pieces. Your's looks nicely subdued and so old. Congratulations on this find.
Gear doesn't not mention this type of piece that I can recall. It's outside his wheelhouse to an extent maybe.
Would you agree he is generally not concerned with the beauty of the weights. When he talks about the pieces assembled to use as a basis for the work I had a mental picture of a dump truck depositing a load of weights outside his front door.
He doesn't bother to choose undamaged weights for his pics, they are quite often missing parts of tail and head decoration.
We are told half of the weights used for analysis were 20 tical pieces and from this I got the feeling that composition and weight variations were of more interest, plus the farflung origins of the symbols.
Naturally he was interested in collecting sets but for those of us starting our collection this late perhaps (myself and others just coming to the interest and on a limited budget) sets might need to take second place to choosing something simply for its beauty even an example of something we already own.

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#8 | RE: H1B to H1C datum

Sun Sep 19, 2021 11:16 am

Just to expand a bit I had the chance to buy a crusty 10 tical C1 and instead chose another H4B 10 tical. New one faces right. The 2 H4B's are different granted but 10 C1's are hard to find and I don't have one in the collection.IMG_7899.JPG-1.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)IMG_7895.JPG-1-1-1.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

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20 tical Karaweik 2 /H4A Shan Bird? � � 5 tical 76 gms To1D Repair


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