Japanese Lucky Cat | Feng Shui | Happiness | Small White
A small Japanese Lucky Cat in White - invites happiness, purity and positive things to come.
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
- 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:
- A white lucky cat invites happiness and good fortune
- A black lucky cat protects you from illness - promotes good health
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A gold lucky cat encourages monetary good fortune
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A green lucky cat encourages good health and success in education/studies
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A pink lucky cat invites success in matters of romance and love
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A red lucky cat invites success in love and relationships,especially marriage
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A raised left paw invites customers to a business
- A raised right paw invites prosperity into a home
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.
