Beyond the Basic Cat
Maneki Neko is always a beckoning cat, but this basic requirement places little restriction on designers' imaginations. Indeed, one of the delights of Maneki Neko is its infinite variety. According to the Maneki Neko Club, which has conducted exhaustive research, the prevalent style among older Maneki Nekos is the Fushimi style, which likely dates to the 1870s. Fushimi-style cats have relatively small eyes; there is no "eyeliner" emphasizing them, and their pupils are small black dots. Most were made of earthenware, and production was small scale.
The Mikawa-style cat is thought to have become popular around 1925. It features a slightly larger pupil and a thin line emphasizing the eye. this style of cat could be earthenware, but some were porcelain, and the cats became slightly larger.
In the post-World War II era, the Tsunesuberi style of cat-the one most frequently seen today-appeared on the scene. With a large head, large eyes, large pupils, and a thick application of eyeliner, its face has a distinctive, stylized appearance, unlike the more naturalistic earlier Lucky Cat designs. These inexpensive Maneki Neko figurines, common in sushi restaurants and Asian neighborhoods in Western cities, are not the focus of the most serious Lucky Cat aficionados, although there are collectors who own hundreds or even thousands of Tsunesuberi-style Lucky Cats.
High-end Maneki Neko figurines are made by some of Japan's leading porcelain producers, sush as Seto-yaki, Imari-yaki, and Kutani-yaki. Porcelain Seto and Imari cats are often pure white and of a naturalistic design; unlike Tsunesuberi cats, their heads are in proportion to their bodies. Imari and Seto cats may also feature stylized red and black "tortoise" spots. Kutani cats are of naturalistic proportions but may showcase the manufacturer's porcelain painting skill, with elaborate designs rendered in gold paint against a black or crimson background glaze. Kutani also produces cats with realistically painted fur, such as tabby stripes.
Temples around Japan at which Maneki Neko is historically or legendarily important- Gotoku-ji, for instance-also feature distinctive styles of cat figurine. Gotoku-ji's Beckoning Cats are simple, pure white, adorned only with a red collar and bell. The Sumiyoshi-taisha shrine in Osaka offers kimono-clad Hattatsuneko, first mentioned in an 1876 newspaper account. Legend has it that if a person collects 48 Hattatsuneko cats, one a month over a four-year period, he or she will be ensured of good fortune.
Maneki Neko is sometimes depicted in combination with other lucky symbols. Of these, Daruma is perhaps the most familiar. A scowling, roly-poly figure clad in a red robe, Daruma is a depiction of the Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhisim. A papier-mache Daruma will usually come with blank, pupil-less eyes; the custom is to make a wish and color in one pupil. When the Daruma grants the wish, the other pupil is colored in as a thank you. Maneki Nako and Daruma together are considered especially lucky.
Other Lucky Cats appear alongside a bizarre, straw-hat-wearing figure that looks like a demented potbellied bear. This is Tanuki, a character based on a raccoon-like native dog credited with magical shape-shifting powers. a creature of bacchanalian propensity, he is said to love sake; indeed, he is usually shown holding a flask of it in one paw, whil the other clutches a promissory note with which he has "paid" for the liquor. (this subterfuge is apparently part of his charm.) In Japan, Tanuki figurines are often seen in restaurants and bars, where they beckon customers just as Lucky Cat does.
Another common variation has Maneki Neko accompanied by some or all of the Seven Lucky Gods-Ebisu, God of Good Fortune; Daikokuten, God of Wealth; Benzaiten, Goddess of the Arts; Hotei, God of Happiness; Fukorokuju, God of Wisdom; Jurojin, God of Longevity; and Bishamonten, God of Treasure and War. The gods may stand on or with the cat; some popular figurines show all eight riding a takarabune (treasure boat), which may be laden with bags of money and gold bars.
More unusual variations on Maneki Neko include beckoning pigs, lucky frogs (also known as kero kero), lucky dogs, and lucky tigers-the last often seen dressed in a baseball cap or uniform as the team mascot for the Hanshin Tigers.
The different colors of Maneki Neko figurines also carry particular meanings. Traditionally, Beckoning Cats were white or tricolor-that is, painted with orange or red and black spots to represent calico fur. The white Maneki Neko is a symbol of purity and an all-purpose granter of good fortune. The tricolor cat also brings general luck, and its long-standing popularity may be due to a belief among sailors that a rare male calico cat is especially auspicious.
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