Description
Antique Pre 1900's Burmese, Thailand Bronze Bird, Duck, Goose Opium Weight. Weighs aprox 10.8 Oz. & measures 2 1/2 " tall Has Great Patina. Please see all pictures, estate sale find. feel free to message with any questions. The bird weights are often referred to as the hamsa, hansa, & hintha which are Pali & Sanskrit names for geese. The plump looking birds with heads tucked in are referred to as Mon ducks or sleeping ducks. Less common is the name karaweik, which refers to later bird weights, distinguished from the Hamsa by the beak which is pointed & curves down at the tip. The Hamsa beak is flat & rounded at the tip. The name karaweik seems to have Chinese origins. Some other names used by writers & collectors of weights include mandarin ducks & Brahmin ducks. Certain weights resemble a jungle fowl, occasionally referred to as chickens by collectors, though it is doubtful that this was the intended representation, given the Buddhist influence on the shape of weights & the lowly status of the chicken. Antique 19Th Century Burmese, Thailand Bronze Bird, Duck, Goose Opium Weight
