-40%

#38 ANCIENT CAST IRON CHIMERA SCALE / OPIUM WEIGHT from OLD CHINA 522 gms.

$ 21.09

Availability: 50 in stock
  • Item must be returned within: 14 Days
  • Refund will be given as: Money Back
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: China
  • All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
  • Condition: Used
  • Restocking Fee: No
  • Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer

    Description

    ANCIENT CAST IRON ANIMAL / CHIMERA SCALE WEIGHT    Piece #38
    UNUSUAL & VERY OLD
    EACH ONE UNIQUE - NO TWO ARE EXACTLY  ALIKE!
    SHANDONG PROVINCE - CHINA
    These ancient Chinese animal weights are solid and heavy cast iron merchant weights, or scale weights, the likes of which have been used for millennia in the Chinese agrarian culture. Not seen too often here in the West.
    More about these curious artifacts...
    Mythical animals like the foo lion, chimera, and the griffon or qilin are often represented in these objects, often in combination, along with some of the animals of the Chinese zodiac.
    These intriguing and artistic iron castings are very old and have seen centuries of use - the iron has literally been worn down smooth by handling. They were utilitarian objects, and had been handled daily, some of them for hundreds of years. Precise dating is somewhat problematic, but these are very old, easily 200-400 yrs. Different regions of China have produced myriad forms over hundreds of years, yet not too many have survived.  No two castings are exactly alike!  There are similar design motifs, but each one is an individual casting with its own distinctives.
    **Pictures were taken in direct sunlight for accurate color.
    This piece is 3
    1/4"
    high, and weighs 522 gms.
    SHIPPING
    :     I can ship up to FOUR weights for the price of one, for
    domestic
    orders
    I can ship TWO weights for the price of one, for
    international
    orders
    USA:
    Will ship USPS PRIORITY MAIL  anywhere in US for
    .00
    CANADA ONLY:
    USPS PRIORITY MAIL for
    .00
    REST OF WORLD:
    Shipping via USPS PRIORITY MAIL International for
    .00