Pair of natural patina cast bronze figures of large crouching rats, each with the right paw raised in the act of making a votive offering. This unusual representation of the mouse is linked to the bronze models visible in many Nepalese temples, such as the large one exhibited at the Ashok Binayak Ganesh temple in Kathmandu.
The rat, as vehicle of Lord Ganesh, is often subject of worship itself. However, in Buddhist context, the mongoose (nakula) is also the main attribute of Jambhala, the deity of abundance, typically depicted with a rat vomiting up precious stones. In this case, it is possible that these two animals used to flank an altar devoted to Jambhala.