Dimensions: Height 4,7 cm Wide 2,6 cm Depth 3,1 cm

Weight: 85,7 grams

A bronze opium weight cast in the form of a stylized duck, produced in the Shan State during the late 19th to early 20th century. The bird is shown with a rounded body, upright tail, and pronounced beak, with eyes and crest rendered in bold relief. It rests on a facetted base with incised linear decoration and a stamped mark, confirming its calibration as a 10 Tical weight. The surface shows a deep green patina with reddish-brown encrustation, attesting to its long history of use.

Opium weights of this type were essential in Burma for weighing opium, silver, and other commodities until the early 20th century. The Shan State workshops are well known for their imaginative animal forms, and the duck is among the most distinctive. In Burmese culture, ducks and waterfowl are auspicious creatures associated with prosperity, good fortune, and the flow of trade — an appropriate symbol for a weight used in commerce.

Comparable examples are published in Donald & Joan Gear, The Burmese Bronze Weights (1982), and in the British Museum collection