Antique Opium Weight

In the form of a Hintha bird

18th century

Burma

Weight : 29 grams

Measures : 3 cm tall x 2 cm wide x 1.5 cm deep

Acquired in the 1980's by an Aspen collector.

Hintha bird (Brahmani duck), commonly used for trade in pre-colonial Southeast Asia. The Hintha Bird embodies the connection between the earthly and the divine.

This 29 gram weight was used as standard measure in trade for precious herbs, medicines, spices as well as its namesake - opium.

Beautiful piece of history wearing signs of use commensurate with age.