Maneki Cat : Large

• A large hand-cast black lucky cat, one of this workshop's biggest maneki-neko figures at nearly 18cm tall
• Black cats are traditionally called "fuku neko" (fortune cat) in Japan — a symbol of protection and good luck
• Left unglazed after firing, then hand-painted in soft matte pigment, so no two cats look quite the same
• Authentically made in Japan, hand-cast and hand-painted entirely in Seto
• Each piece hand-painted freehand, so facial expressions vary slightly from cat to cat

"Raise a paw. Invite your fortune in."

Lucky cats (maneki-neko) are said to have first appeared in the Edo period as a good-luck charm adopted by shop owners and travelers to invite fortune. This large piece takes the traditional decorative way.

This lucky cat comes from a small ceramics workshop in Seto, Japan and still family-run today, making zodiac dolls, Hina dolls, maneki-neko and shrine figures entirely by hand.

Seto has served as a major Japanese pottery centre since the Heian period and was historically the sole domestic producer of glazed ceramics — making "setomono" the standard Japanese term for pottery. Since the late 1800s, Seto's artisans have applied their expertise to ceramic dolls and figures using traditional methods: plaster mould casting, firing, and freehand hand-painting.

Material: Ceramic, unglazed bisque body with hand-painted matte pigment finish
Dimensions: H9.5 × W7.7 × D5.9 cm 
Made in Seto, Japan