Larger Antique Burmese Bronze Hintha Bird Opium Weight

While called opium weights, these were used to weigh many things in everyday transactions, such as gold, silver, spices, pearls, etc.
 
This piece displays the hintha bird, which is the Burmese equivalent of the Indian wild goose, hamsa. In Hindu mythology, the hamsa was the steed of Brahma who is the creator of the universe, the protector of the world, the god of wisdom. The bird represents purity, grace, prosperity, and fidelity in Burmese lore.
 
This piece has no visible asterix or petal marks, suggesting it may be from the 18th century.
 
We believe our mother would have picked this up in an antique shop on the Thai-Burmese border as early as the 1970s or in Yangon (formerly Rangoon) as late as the mid 1980s. The style is 19th Century, and this one certainly looks much older than the a set of 3 we also have on offer. It has a slightly different shape and pattern along the base. It is in very good vintage condition, with some patina and could use a careful cleaning.
 
H 2 1/2” x L 2” x D 1 3/4”
11.82 oz (335g)
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.