Set Of 11 19th Century Burmese Bronze Opium Weights

Set of 11 19th-century Burmese bronze opium weights
Stylized opium weights, in the form of mythical Hintha birds, in patinated bronze
The Hintha, also known as the Hamsa or Brahmani duck, is a sacred water bird deeply rooted in Burmese mythology and folklore. The largest of these features an integrated curved handle that extends from the crest of the head to its finely worked tail feathers
Despite their popular Western nickname ("opium weights"), these bronze figurines were the standard official weights used throughout the Konbaung Burmese empire to measure all daily market goods, bulk commodities and monetary metals such as silver
The largest: 11 cm wide, 7 cm deep and 13 cm high. The base measures 7 cm by 7 cm
The smallest: 2 cm wide, 1.5 cm deep and 2 cm high
The largest weighs 1.6 kg
In total, they weigh 3.1 kg
Provenance: Robert Willocx Collection, Brussels
The Robert Willocx Collection was a highly regarded private collection of Asian art
It was built up over several decades by Professor Robert Willocx (1932-2023), an eminent Belgian physician, professor and gastroenterologist at the Catholic University of Leuven.