Scales Box Item Number: 3559/15 a-b from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Thin, irregularly-shaped black wooden box (part a) for metal scales (part b); hinged lid slides open from right side, secured with a metal band on left end. Lid has elephant motif carved in relief across entire surface. Design consists of a large elephant followed by two smaller ones walking towards left side of box. Background is filled with groupings of dots; border with inverted triangles carved along edges of lid. Main body of box is undecorated. The metal scales rest inside the box; walls carved to fit scales. Scales consist of a metal beam and two circular pans, attached on either end with three pieces of thread each; beam has shears and pointer protruding from the top centre edge. Tips of beam are pointed and decorated with incised diagonal lines; "X"'s and diagonal lines decorate sides of shears. Pointer and pans are undecorated.
Box to hold opium scales. Elephants were used to transport opium in Northern Thailand.