Maneki-Neko
The most famous cat in Japan: the Maneki-Neko, true japanese symbol, This lucky charm will accompany you everywhere and guarantee you prosperity!
WHAT IS MANEKI-NEKO, THE EXCELLENT JAPANESE SYMBOL?
The Maneki-Neko protects the person who possesses it and ensures wealth and prosperity, we find them in all Japanese souvenir shops, however, if you do not plan to go to the Japan in the coming days you can still find this wonderful Japanese statuette in our online store, as usual, we offer many models to delight as many of you as possible!
The Maneki-Neko is a Japanese Cat depicted sitting with one paw in the air as a sign of welcome, it literally means "Cat who welcomes", we will see a little later that depending on its color and the paw that is raised, this Japanese lucky charm will not have the same meaning. This Japanese ceramic statuette or porcelain is an integral part of the Folklore Nippon, it is supposed to attract fortune and it is for this reason that you will find this Traditional Japanese Statuette at the checkout of almost all Japanese businesses, the higher he raises his paw, the more powerful he is!
Even if most of these wonderful lucky charms are made of porcelain or ceramic, you can easily find them in other materials: plastic for example, if you want a Maneki-Neko pas cher, or in Gold if you want to have a luxurious version of this Japanese accessory.
MEANING OF THE COLOR OF MANEKI-NEKO
Just like Daruma, Maneki-Neko has several meanings depending on its color, let’s take a closer look:
- Noir : protection against evil
- Blue : good health and academic success
- Rose : happy marriage, love and romance
- Rouge : luck and security
- Blanc : luck, happiness, positive energy
- Golden : fortune and prosperity
Now that you have learned a little more about the different colors of this Traditional Japanese Object, we will see that depending on its gestures, there will also be a meaning which can vary from one statuette to another.
A VERY FAMOUS LUCK CAT IN JAPAN AND ABROAD
Even if Maneki-Neko is typically Japanese, it now occupies a very important place almost everywhere in the world and has also become well established in Europe in recent years, let's see together the different meanings of this japanese cat depending on his gestures:
- Right paw raised : facilitates money and luck
- Left paw raised : favors hospitality, it is generally this cat that we find in Japanese stores
- Both paws in the air : protects the house in which he is located as well as the family who lives there
You may also have noticed that the Maneki-Neko may or may not have several accessories, for example a red collar around his neck as well as a bell, these accessories were usually used in the Japanese tradition to distinguish cats belonging to rich owners, we can then also see a bib, it is a little nod to the Buddhist divinity, and finally to finish, a koban, the latter brings fortune and success in the hearth.
So will you succeed in making your choice among our wide range of japanese lucky cat ? Whether for you or as a gift to a loved one, the Maneki-Neko will delight both fans of Japanese culture but also those who are not necessarily interested in it. In any case it will be a fabulous object of Interior decoration for all people who want a Traditional Japanese Decoration.
If you're a fan of Japanese decoration, take a look at our collection of Japanese noren, Japanese print and Japanese wall art. But that's not all: our Daruma and Maneki-Neko collections will also delight you, and immerse your home in a world reminiscent of the land of the rising sun.