Wooden sculpture of a mouse on a mushroom. The qualities of wood have been skillfully exploited to signify the lamellae of the mushroom, not visible unless the sculpture is lifted.

In Japan, the term nezumi refers to both the mouse and the rat. They are considered the messenger of Daikokuten, the deity of commerce and wealth. In the Chinese zodiac, taken over by Shintoism in Japan, the mouse (or rat) is the first of the twelve animals, a place that it owes, according to the many legends telling the story of the twelve animals and their election, to its cunning and intelligence.

Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912)

Height: 3.55 in. (9 cm) – width: 4.02 in. (10.2 cm) – depth: 5.44 in. (13.8 cm)