Jade Rat (鼠) Carving (Myanmar / Burma)

Jade Rat Carving Mineral: Jade var. Jadeite Origin: Myanmar (Burma) Color: Dark Green Treatment: None Approximate dimensions: 2.3cm x1.4 cm x 0.9cm Weight: 4g Note: Does NOT stand on it's own.   10% of this purchase will be donated to The Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA)   The rat is rather surprisingly the first in the cycle of twelve zodiacal animals, the story goes that a rat was smart enough to jump onto the back of the ox to get to the head of the queue of animals when they were being named. The character for rat 鼠 shǔ is a pictograph showing its head, tail and whiskers. The mouse is called 小鼠 xiǎo shǔ ‘little rat’ in contrast to 大鼠 dà shǔ ‘big rat’, the mouse plays little part in legends and superstitions. It is considered a ‘yin’ female animal. The constant activity of rats has been paralleled with the acquisitive action of misers and so rats are associated with money. In one legend it was rats that brought rice to people's attention as a nutritious food.