Japanese Figure Depicting Mouse

Sitting rat looks up with a tail curled into a perfect handle.

This cast iron figure of a mouse from Japan is from Japan, and dates to the mid 20th century. The mouse is the first of the twelve animals of the East Asian zodiac, and it is a frequent subject for small figures in Japanese folk art. Cast rat seated upright with its forepaws raised and its tail looping outward like a handle. Small marks are stamped near the base on the back. Gold paint clings in patches over a rich dark brown surface. It is 2.5 inches wide, 1 deep and 1.5 high.

Alert, polite and loaded with whiskers it does not need.