A Chinese jade carving of a rat (or squirrel) shown climbing atop a cluster of water caltrop pods and a curling lotus leaf, dating to the late Qing dynasty. The little creature is carved in a paler, warm celadon-cream jade tone, contrasted beautifully against the deeper "mushroom" brown of the pods and leaf beneath it — the two tones of stone used quite deliberately by the carver to separate figure from ground. Its body is finely incised with short hatched strokes suggesting fur, and its face, paws, and long tail are all clearly and confidently modelled, giving it real character as it perches over the cluster of rounded, bean-like caltrop pods below. To one side, a small flowering spray is worked in the same darker stone, and the underside of the piece is carved as a broad, veined lotus leaf, its ribs radiating out from a central boss in a naturalistic pattern that curls gently at the rim like a real leaf caught mid-fold. Small animal-and-plant carvings of this kind were popular in the late Qing period as pocket or desk pieces, often carrying auspicious wordplay: a rat or squirrel shown among abundant seed pods is traditionally associated with wishes for fertility and plentiful offspring, given how prolifically both rats and plants like the water caltrop reproduce. The stone shows the smooth, softly worn surface typical of handled jade, and the two-tone colouring — celadon above, deeper brown below — is a natural feature the carver has used to good effect rather than an added colour. Measurements: Length: 5cm (2 in) Width: 4cm Depth: 1.5–2cm Weight: 58g A charming, well-observed small carving for the collector of Chinese jade animal and plant subjects — full of character for its size, and pleasant to hold and turn in the hand. Provenance: Private Collection. Authenticated by major London Auction house as a Chinese jade carving.