Japanese Maneki Neko Beckoning Cat Lucky Family Ceramic Coin Bank 4"H x 5"W

Description

THIS LISTING IS FOR A
Japanese Maneki Neko Beckoning Cat Lucky Family Ceramic Coin Bank 4"H x 5"W
Maneki Neko Beckoning
Cat Family (White Lucky Ceramic
Figurine
)
The
Maneki-neko
(
招き猫
)
, literally means 'beckoning
cat
', is a common
Japanese
figurine (lucky charm, talisman) which is often believed to bring good
luck
to the owner.
The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed often at the entrance of—shops and other businesses and houses:
Right Paw raised: Invites money and good fortune
Left    Paw raised:
Invites customers or people
Thus, it's very common to find a
Maneki Neko
on display in stores, restaurants and other businesses. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic.
It is an auspicious ornament from a long time ago. The lucky cat is a symbol of good luck in Japan.  It attracts many people. A common belief is that the raised left paw brings in customers, white color represents purity and happiness.
The lucky cat is carefully made so that the shape and colors are beautiful.
What is written on Maneki Neko?
Maneki Neko
are often seen holding an oblong golden coin, modeled after the ryo (
両
), an older form of Japanese currency. Very often sen man ryo (
千万両
) can be seen
written
on the coin; this means 10,000,000 ryo, which, at the time, was a great fortune to have.
What do the Lucky Cats hold?
It has the freshness of white and red colors accentuated by some black and gold, and a paw raised high that is beckoning but
can
also be a gesture of protection. Traditionally, the
lucky cat
is
holding
either a round gold coin or an ancient Japanese coin with a slightly rectangular shape.
Where do I put Maneki Neko?
For people using
Maneki Neko
in their homes, the fortune cat must be placed in the south eastern corner of the house which is traditionally associated with the wealth area. For people having a home office,
Maneki Neko
must be placed as close to the office as possible preferably in a southeast corner.
What do the different colors of Maneki Neko mean?
Originally, the
Maneki
-
neko
is in white, but over the years with the combination of Feng Shui,
different colour
variations were born. The original white
colour
is to get good luck and overall good fortune, while black is to ward off evil, red is for good health, yellow or gold is for wealth, and
pink
is for romance.
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