A maneki-neko (literally, "beckoning cat" in Japanese, also known as a lucky cat, Chinese lucky cat, or happy cat) figurine. A popular lucky charm.
The maneki-neko (Japanese: 招き猫, literally "beckoning cat") is a common Japanese figurine (lucky charm, talisman) which is often believed to bring good luck to the owner. In modern times, they are usually made of ceramic or plastic. The figurine depicts a cat (traditionally a calico Japanese Bobtail) beckoning with an upright paw, and is usually displayed in—often at the entrance of—shops, restaurants, pachinko parlors, and other businesses. Some of the sculptures are electric or battery-powered and have a slow-moving paw beckoning. The maneki-neko is sometimes also called the welcoming cat, lucky cat, money cat, happy cat, raging cat, beckoning cat, or fortune cat in English. Maneki-neko comes in different colors, styles and degrees of ornateness. Common colors are white, black, gold and sometimes red. In addition to ceramic figurines, maneki-neko can be found as keychains, piggy banks, air fresheners, house-plant pots, and miscellaneous ornaments, as well as large statues. It is also sometimes called the "Chinese lucky cat" due to its popularity among Chinese merchants. *** Description sourced from Wikipedia.
Size: 4352px × 3264px
Photo credit: © Felix Choo / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: asian, beckoning, cat, charm, chinese, fortune, happy, japanese, lucky, maneki, maneki-neki, maneki-neko, manekineko, money, neko, niko, raging, talisman, waving, welcoming
