AN ANCIENT BIRD-SHAPED WEIGHT SYSTEM FROM LAN NA AND BURMA PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Donald Gear, Joan Gear | 106 pages | 01 Mar 2003 | Silkworm Books / Trasvin Publications LP | 9789747551921 | English | Chiang Mai, Thailand White lotus press : Books on Southeast Asia,Rare books,Books online Whatever one may have thought of that elusive, nickel-crazed schoolmate, it turns out that serious coin collecting isn't just a namby-pamby pastime; it's a spirited undertaking fueled by competitive zeal. Or, as Cristal puts it: "It's about owning something no one else in the world has. If you showed up at your local grocery store with a human head or two in exchange for necessities, you'd hardly be welcome. Not so among ancient headhunters on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, for whom the trophies were valuable mediums of exchange. Such monetary relics, Cristal concedes, would be extreme even by the flamboyant standards of his own collection. Yet for the most part, if ancient Thais, Laotians, or Burmese ever used it, Cristal wants it, too — and will pay handsomely for a specimen. These items of "a premodern metallic monetary system" worked alongside cowrie shells as more or less standardized tender. They date back years to the Lan Na Kingdom in what is now northern Thailand. Even within the rarefied world of numismatics, Cristal's specialty — Southeast Asian "curious money" with Thailand a special trove of treasures — counts as wildly exotic fare. True, the Aztecs paid in cocoa beans, and gaudy parrot feathers once fetched quite a bit among certain tribes in Africa and Oceania. But genitalia-shaped currency? Or how about "bracelet money" copper, silver, or gold , obviating the need for banks by making wrists into portable safety depositories? Then there's "flower money" coaster-shape silver tokens imprinted with the petal-like patterns of coriander blossoms and "leaf money" copper currency decorated with the motif of radiating veins on leafs. Both were once widely in use in the northern regions of today's Thailand and Burma Myanmar. Yet this numismatist's paradise, the American Numismatic Society notes, has been "almost entirely ignored by scholars and collectors. Cristal agrees. To remedy that situation, he's just finishing a definitive reference book on Thailand's premodern coinage, a Yellow Pages-size magnum opus with color plates listing over unique specimens most from his own collection. Although the book is still in draft form, Kusik Manodham, chairman of the Numismatic Association of Thailand, is already heaping praise on "this momentous work. Grandma Leah would be proud. It was, after all, Cristal's grandmother's jar of "nickels, dimes, and Indian-head pennies" that sparked the interest of her Brooklyn-born grandson. A Polish immigrant to the New World, she also taught him the value of every last penny. Cristal first set foot in Thailand now his adoptive home in during the Vietnam War. A military judge advocate, he was handling local settlement claims filed against the US Army. Then one day he wandered into a small shop peddling Chinese sycee silver ingots , and, next thing he knew, he'd bought the entire collection. It was a nascent numismatist's epiphany — and he was hooked. Lan Na has been listed as a level-5 vital article in History. If you can improve it, please do. This article has been rated as C-Class. The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. Bunce Susan Conway River Books. Volker Grabowsky, ed. Regions and National Integration in Thailand, Harrassowitz Verlag. Lan Na in Chinese historiography. Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University. Patit Paban Mishra The History of Thailand. Paths to Conflagration. Cornell Southeast Asia Program. Sarassawadee Ongsakul History of Lan Na. Silkworm Books. Carol Stratton Buddhist Sculpture of Northern Thailand. David K. Wyatt Thailand: A Short History. Yale University Press. Either would be fine by me. Haven't looked into the literature, so no comment there. Agree with the nominator unless a serious objection is raised. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. I'm not arguing against a reversion of the rename; only that I'm not yet seeing convincing evidence. So the "common English language practice", as used by reliable sources, is exactly what we need to determine and follow. Saraswadee Ongsakul, H. Penth, V. Grabowsky, D. The mere number of google books hits does not differentiate between high-quality literature that deals with Lan Na in detail and, say, travel guides or even fiction books that only mention "Lanna" in passing. And finally, while Lan Na is often labelled as a kingdom, this is a little inaccurate. For most of its history, it was not a unitary kingdom, but rather a loose network of principalities or city-states only linked by common culture, language and personal links between its rulers. I would therefore rather not include the term "kingdom" in the article's title. The argument "Thai script does not use spaces either" is not very convincing and could easily be turned around and used against the proposal: Thai script never uses spaces between words, but English does, so we have to add them even in places where Thai script does not use them. Along the way, stop to visit the temple of dawn, an extraordinary feat of architecture and one of the most revered sights along the river, and The Royal Barge Museum. This temple is the oldest and largest in Bangkok. Along the way we can see numerous agricultural points of interest, such as the salt and shrimp farms and the coconut farms. After lunch at a local restaurant upon our return back to Bangkok then, we will visit Wat Traimit, which house the biggest Golden Buddha weight about 5 tons, after that stroll around Bangkok famous China Town area. Day 4 Check out from your hotel, we will travel to the airport to catch a flight to our next destination — Chiang Rai. This interesting museum gives us a detailed insight into the history of the opium industry, beginning in the 17th century. Check in at your hotel. Day 5 Today we will travel to Mae Sai, the Myanmar border town, where we will cross over to the Kingdom of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. We will take a tour by rickshaw bicycle around the bustling business town of Thakilek. Here we can observe the contrasting customs and traditions which are part of life in Myanmar. After returning to Thailand we will explore a local fish cave, inhabited by wild monkeys. We will then proceed to Doi Tung — a site of major importance to Thai people since Her Royal Highness, The Princess Mother, initiated and developed numerous socio-environmental projects including reforestation and working together with the hill tribes to grow various crops. Along the way, we will stop for lunch at a local Thai restaurant. On arrival at Chiang Mai, check in at your hotel and spend the rest of the day at leisure. An Ancient Bird-shaped Weight System from Lan Na and Burma – Silkworm Books Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. This book explores in detail the little-known system of ancient bird-shaped weights from Northern Thailand and Burma. The weights are carefully described and analyzed as to their origin anduse, their mass scale and its relation to other mass scales, their composition and production techniques, and their shapes and symbolism. Although historical records fail to mention much This book explores in detail the little-known system of ancient bird-shaped weights from Northern Thailand and Burma. Although historical records fail to mention much about the ancient weights in Southeast Asia, fortunately, records of European traders and of Arab, Persian, and Chinese travelers from previous centuries do exist, and provide an opportunity for comparison. Donald and Joan Gear broaden their study to consider the historical context of the Lan Na weights, comparing them with the weight systems found in surrounding areas. They conclude that from about the 11th century until the midth century, the bird-shaped weights were most likely used by traders along the route through Raheng and Martaban to Pegu. Of interest to historians, collectors, antiquarians, and scholars of Southeast Asia, this unique volume discloses the curious and intricate world of ancient bird-shaped weights. Get A Copy. Paperback , pages. Published March 1st by Silkworm Books first published February More Details Original Title. Day 1 Your guide will welcome you at Bangkok International Airport and will transfer you to your hotel. En route, your guide will give an initial introduction to Thailand and a program briefing. Day 2 Start the day by taking a long tail boat cruise down the Chao Phraya River. See the traditional houses precariously perched along the river. Along the way, stop to visit the temple of dawn, an extraordinary feat of architecture and one of the most revered sights along the river, and The Royal Barge Museum. This temple is the oldest and largest in Bangkok. Along the way we can see numerous agricultural points of interest, such as the salt and shrimp farms and the coconut farms.