Lot 2065

Description

China, scale weights marked in Chinese as multiples of the tael and mace, set as round blocks (note 10 mace = 1 tael), weights are 1 mace (3.76 g), 2 mace (7.53 g), 3 mace (11.29 g), 4 mace (15.95 g), 5 mace (18.83 g), 6 mace (22,59 g), 7 mace (26.35 g), 8 mace (30.12 g), 9 mace (33.88 g); 1 tael (37.66 g), 2 tael (75.3 g), 3 tael (112.98 g), 4 tael (150.60 g), 5 tael (188.27 g), 10 tael (380 g) (illustrated). An unusual and complete set, very fine or better, last two with multiple stampings for testing. (15)

Ex Patrick J. O'Rourke Collection.

Tael or tahil can refer to any one of several weight measures of the Far East. Most commonly, it refers to the Chinese tael, a part of the Chinese system of weights and currency. In Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia it is equivalent to 10 mace. The first measuring unit in ancient China was called Zhu and was probably evolved into the tael (unit for silver) = 1 Liang of silver or 10 mace.