The Maneki Neko is a Japanese good luck charm that has become popular worldwide. It is a sculpture of a cat with a raised paw, traditionally believed to bring money and luck. The cats come in various colors and materials, and are often depicted with other objects such as a red collar or holding a coin. The origins of the Maneki Neko date back to the mid-1800s, and the cats have become a popular symbol in Japanese culture.
The Maneki Neko, or beckoning cat, is a Japanese sculptural good luck charm that has spread to many other parts of the world, particularly those with large Japanese populations. Traditionally, keeping a Maneki Neko in your home or business is supposed to bring the owner good luck and money. Many shops specializing in Japanese cultural items sell attention-grabbing cats, in a range of colors, sizes and materials. The most common is a tricolor ceramic cat in white, brown and amber.
The origins of the Maneki Neko seem to date back to the mid-1800s, between the late Edo and early Meiji periods. Cats, especially tricolor cats, have played an important role in Japanese culture for centuries, often serving as good luck charms or indicators of good luck. In Japan, it is believed that when a cat washes its face, the company will come to visit. The first beckoning cats were actually depicted washing their faces.
By the early 1900s, the Maneki Neko had become an extremely popular sculpture in Japan and cats began appearing raising their paws in a welcoming gesture. In Japan, cats are sold with their paws pointing outward, imitating the welcome gesture used by the Japanese. Outside of Japan, cats may point the backs of their paws forward, in a gesture more familiar to Westerners. According to popular belief, a cat with its left paw raised is supposed to bring customers, and a right paw raised will bring money and good luck. In some cases, both paws are raised.
There are a number of alternative English names for the Maneki Neko, including Welcoming Cat, Lucky Cat, Fortune Cat and Money Cat. Although the cats are often produced with a tricolor swallowtail pattern, they can also be found in colors like pure white or black, red or even pink. Some manufacturers make the cats in other fancy colors as well.
Often, several objects are depicted together with the cat in a Maneki Neko sculpture. Typically, the cat wears a small red collar and bell, and may also wear a bib. The collars are a reference to the collars traditionally worn by cats held by courtesans. The cat can also be seen holding a large coin or sitting on money, especially when its right paw is raised. Typically, a Maneki Neko is made from ceramic or porcelain, though wood, paper mache, and plastic are not unheard of. Some cats are even motorized so that their paws move in a welcoming gesture.
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