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Opium Weight 5 Tical Beast EOW51

From Rangoon, Burma, this attractive little beast opium weight features chest beading, which is still clearly visible. The extremities are intact, and the patina shows a good deal of wear from over a century of use. This weight is classified by *Gear as Group 2, Period E.

The beast opium weight is thought to represent the Bodhisattva, or one who seeks enlightenment out of compassion to release others from suffering, as well as the Chakravartin, a divine universal monarch.

Characteristics
Height: 4cm, 1.6 in
Base: 4cm, 1.6 in
Weight: 5 kyat/tical, 80 grams (kyat mass: 15.7g)
Base plan: octagonal
Base lines: 4 horizontal lines
Sign: 9 ray star, not visible
Frequency: 45/1000
Period: 1767-1785, King Hsinbyushin
Form: beast

* Earth to Heaven: The Royal Animal-Shaped Weights of the Burmese Empire Paperback , 2002 by Joan & Donald Gear

 

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