Japanese Lucky Cat | Feng Shui | Good Health | Small Black
A small Japanese Lucky Cat in Black - for protection against illness and to ward off evil spirits.
The origin of Lucky Cats dates back to the Edo period in Japan between 1603 and 1867. They are known as 'Maneki Neko' in Japan, which translates literally as 'Beckoning Cat'. In the western world they are often called Fortune Cats, Money Cats, Welcoming Cats
and Chinese Lucky Cats - however, the origin is certainly Japanese.
Lucky Cats are usually located near the entrance to shops, offices
and homes; encouraging good luck, good health and/or business to be attracted to the premises. The white Japanese kanji characters on the red label
signifies 'excellent luck'.
- Approx. 60mm tall - just under 2.5 inches
- Slightly wider than tall at approx. 62mm
- Approx. 50mm - nearly 2.0 inches deep
- Net weight is approx. 46g
- Raised Right
paw
- Ceramic item -
Hand painted
- Also available in a larger size
- Display well on the Small wooden base (item number 400-03)
- Made in Japan
There are many features of Lucky Cats that hold particular significance:
There are also a number of Japanese folktales which relate to the origin of Lucky Cats. Our
favourite is called 'The Temple Cat':
This story goes that a wealthy feudal lord was taking shelter under a tree during a thunderstorm. The
lord saw a temple priest's cat beckoning to him and he followed; a moment later the tree was struck by lightning. The wealthy Lord became friends with the poor priest and the temple became prosperous. When the cat died, the first Maneki Neko was made in his
honour.
