Opium Weight/Animal Weight/Horse retailer Opium Weight

Opium Weight/Animal Weight/Horse Opium Weight

* 5.2 cm X 3.75 cm X 1.9cm

*119.74 Grams

* Silver-mix

* 20th Century

"The term "opium" weight for these measures was probably coined by a foreigner with a vivid imagination and a fascination for the forbidden. While it is true that some of the smaller weights could have been used for measuring this drug, "opium" weights served a much wider, more useful and down-to-earth purpose: they were used to gauge the weight of the daily items of commerce found in the Burmese market-place."

"Other animals such as the elephant, chicken, horse, tortoise, spider and even a fish have been seen but they are retailer extremely rare."

"Another guide to the authenticity of weights is to check the base. If the underside of the base is completely smooth, it is probably new. The bases of genuine opium weights are usually pitted and scarred due to constant use and rough handling."

From: Burmese “Opium” Weights
Arts of Asia Magazine (January/February 1982 issue) by Sylvia Fraser-Lu