FAQ


FAQ
Maneki Neko Maneki Neko, also called as Feng Shui cat, lucky cat or beckoning cat, is a common Japanese sculpture of a cat (traditionally a Japanese Bobtail) that is believed to offer protection and attract fortune to a workplace or a household. These cats can be placed anywhere that you wish for prosperity to flow. It is often made of ceramics and used to attract customers into shops. There are two lucky cats that many people put them together as a pair, the first feng shui cat is the one which has its left paw up used to attract wealth. This cat is depicted to be smiling and the smile invites good fortune. The other lucky cat has its right paw up, this cat is responsible for providing protection to those who take care of him as well as to the fortune attracted by his partner. This cat depicts a warming expression which is said to be a gesture of protection of our income from any misfortunes. History and Story of Maneki Neko Beckoning cat originated from Gotokuji temple that is located in a calm residential area of Setagaya Ward, Tokyo. In this temple, there is a small shrine dedicated to the worship of this beckoning cat. According to what people said, the beckoning cat originated from the story of a priest's beloved cat which had brought many good luck or fortune to the Gotokuji temple (in Western Tokyo) in the 16th century. One day, a wealthy feudal lord was taking shelter under a big, tall tree near Gotoku-ji temple during a thunderstorm. He saw a cat beckoning him into the temple and he followed, not long after that the tree was struck by lightning. Because of that, the wealthy man and the poor priest became friends and the temple became prosperous. When the cat died, the first Maneki Neko was made in his honor. In recent years, this Money cat's popularity had spread widely to many countries such as United States, Hong Kong, Europe, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The cat is also known as a Wealth Cat, Welcoming Cat or Fortune Cat. The gesture To Westerners it may seem as if the Maneki Neko is waving rather than beckoning. This is due to the difference in gestures and body language recognized by Westerners and the Japanese[ citation needed ], with Japanese beckoning by holding up the hand, palm out, and repeatedly folding the fingers down and back up, thus the cat's appearance. Some Maneki Neko made specifically for Western markets will have the cat's paw facing backwards, in a beckoning gesture more familiar to Westerners. Maneki Neko can be found with either the right or left paw raised (and sometimes both). The significance of the right and left raised paw differs with time and place. The most common belief is that the left paw raised brings in customers, while a right paw brings good luck and wealth, although some believe the opposite. Still others say that a left paw raised is best for drinking establishments, the right paw for other stores. (Those who hold their liquor well are called hidari-kiki in Japan, "left-handed"). [2] It is commonly believed the higher the raised paw, the greater the luck. Consequently, over the years Maneki Neko's paw has tended to appear ever higher. Some use the paw height as a crude method of gauging the relative age of a figure. Another common belief is that the higher the paw, the greater the distance good fortune will come from. Some Maneki Neko feature battery- or solar-powered moving arms endlessly engaged in the beckoning gesture. Collar, bib and bell Maneki Neko comes in many different colors. White cat signifies purity; black wards off evil; red or pink brings love; and green for academic achievement. The most traditional Maneki Neko is a tricolor cat (also known as calico cat), which is white and has random black and orange blotches on its body. Tricolor Maneki Neko has been considered the luckiest cats of all, and Cat House is glad to bring you the extensive collection of the tricolor fortune cats for your homes and businesses. Maneki Neko usually have some sort of decoration around their neck. This can be a neckerchief or a scarf but the most common attire is a collar, bell and decorative bib. These items are most likely in imitation of what was common attire for cats in wealthy households during the Edo period . Red collars made from a red flower, the hichirimen, were popular and small bells were attached for decoration and to keep track of the cat's whereabouts. The bib might also be related to the bibs often decorating statues of the divinity Jizō Bosatsu . Protective statues of Jizō can be found guarding the entrances to Japanese shrines and graveyards. Jizō is the protector of sick and dying children and grateful parents of children recovered from illness will place a bib around Jizō as a gift of thankfulness. The coin Maneki Neko are sometimes depicted holding a coin; usually a gold coin called a koban (小判 ? ), used during the Edo period in Japan. A koban was worth one ryō , another early Japanese monetary unit, though the koban most Maneki Neko hold is indicated to be worth ten million ryō (千万両), an extraordinary sum of money. A ryō can be imagined as worth a thousand dollars , although the value of the coin, like the value of the dollar, varied considerably. In Japanese, the idiom "koban to cats" (猫に小判 neko ni koban ? ) is the traditional equivalent of pearls before swine . The coin obviously ties into the cat's part in bringing good fortune and wealth. It is not surprising then that one can often find Maneki Neko used as banks, a practice which goes back at least to the 1890s, much like the Western piggy bank . Sometimes, pennies and other small coin denominations are left on the Maneki Neko as offerings. This is a practice somewhat related to that of leaving coins in a fountain or wishing well . Where to Place Lucky Cat Many people like to place these cats in their wealth area (southeast part of the house) but if these areas are not available, you can also place these feng shui cats in the northeast area. If you intend to place them somewhere else, make sure the feng shui cats you have contain the element of the area. For example, if you want to place them in a metal area then you should choose the lucky cats that are made up of metal, or if you wish to place them in a fire area then the cats should be created to contain fire element. Composition Maneki Neko are typically made of ceramic . However, cheaper Maneki Neko can be made of other materials ranging from plastic to wood to papier-mâché to clay, while expensive Maneki Neko may be made of jade or gold. The moving Maneki Neko are usually made of plastic Frequently Asked Questions Q. Are your Maneki neko made in Japan? A. Yes, all our Maneki Neko material are made in Japan & Assembly in China . Delivery FAQ Q. How long will it take for an order to be delivered within the UK? A. Any orders received by 2pm (Mon-Fri) are dispatched on the same day otherwise they will be dispatched on the next working day. See below page for getting more information: http://www.manekinekocat.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=6 Q. Do you provide tracking information? A. For orders dispatched by special delivery and courier, tracking information will be supplied. If you are worried that your order is taking longer than expected to arrive please contact us to see whether we can supply further information. Q. Do you deliver to my country? A. If your country is not listed in our list of current shipping destinations please feel free to contact us for consideration.

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