There is beauty in death after a life lived long and well, and with this piece I tried to convey that.

Here we have an articulated large rat skeleton in a sleeping position inside a large apothecary jar. The rat is in a sleeping position on a bed of various mosses, plants and tiny flowers that I've collected and dry-preserved myself. There's a manzanita 'tree,' a bit of driftwood and a snail shell too, all arranged to simulate a natural scene.

I processed the rat's remains and articulated the skeleton myself, bone by bone, often using tweezers. The articulation alone took three weeks! Everything is there, right down to the tiny toes. The rat was processed using dermestid beetles; the bones were fully whitened and sterilized before articulation began.

The end result is something highly unique, eerily beautiful and very peaceful.

The rat was a pet who lived a long life before passing from old age. Her owner (and friend) donated the rat's remains to me, asking that I make something beautiful and donate the proceeds from selling it to the rescue that she adopted the rat from. That's exactly what I'm going to do. :)

Available at the link below, USA sales only. Care instructions included. Additional detail photos available on request.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/250583....._home_active_3