Fortune Cat Singapore
Maneki Neko or commonly known as fortune cat in Singapore is basically figurine of cat that design to bring good luck, wealth and prosperity to the owner. Over the years, there are many different form and shape of this adorable figurine. You can check out our collection of fortune cat related items and gifts here.
Short history of fortune cat origin
The waving lucky cat is a figure that appears in Asian cultures, especially Chinese. More commonly known as maneki neko in Japanese, the lucky cat is a beckoning cat figure which is believed to bring good fortune to its owner. The Maneki Neko was originally invented in Japan in the early 16th century and was exported to China by the 18th century. The waving cats were made of ceramic and used as offerings to the gods at temples. However, the interesting part of this story is that it appears that Chinese traders who used to travel to Japan for business brought back this idea from Japan and started making them of porcelain and clay- also believing that it will bring good fortune!
It is said that the waving maneki neko offers good fortune not only for businesses, but for individuals as well. Maneki Neko roughly translated means ‘beckoning cat’. The most famous maneki-neko is the gold lacquer miniature with an upraised paw and an open mouth. It was believed that this particular waving cat will bring in business and prosperity to its owner’s shop.
The meaning of fortune cat
The Japanese adopted the Chinese belief in good fortune and use of the ‘four fortunes’ to bring prosperity. The Chinese believe that the four symbols of good fortune include jade, peach, pagoda and the waving cat. The peach represents longevity, the jade represents health, the pagoda represents wealth and the waving cat symbolizes joy and happiness.
The waving lucky cat is a timeless symbol of good fortune in Asia. You may have seen them at the entrances of restaurants and shops, or in the offices of Asian corporations. The waving lucky cat has been a popular gift to bring home as a souvenir or to keep as an ornament for many decades.
The waving lucky cat originated in Japan with the introduction of Maneki Neko, literally ‘beckoning cat’, in the Edo Period, between 1603 and 1867. The Maneki Neko is believed to be the incarnation of the goddess of mercy and is said to bring good luck and prosperity.
Where to buy fortune cat in Singapore
With a large range of exceptional designs in cute and charming items, Eileen Town has been delivering smiles to thousands of customers from Singapore and across the region. Popular items include lucky cats in all its different shapes and sizes ranging from a simple pen with fortune cat head, keychains, soft toys, money packets, mugs with fortune cat and so much more. Get your fortune cat Singapore from our shop now. We open daily from 11am to 9pm for our shop located in Sunshine Plaza. Please see our location map to visit our shop.
Most of our fortune cat figurines come with an elegant gift box with hard foam protection inside the box. You can send the entire box as a gift just like that. But if you want something extra, you can also engage our gift wrapping services to wrap your gift accordingly. You can also visit our Instagram page to get some inspiration on some of our gift wrapping ideas.
How to choose fortune cat
Most of the fortune cat Singapore are meant to bring wealth, success, good luck and abundance of fortune to the owner. It is one of the most common gift for house warming, shop opening, and even for offices. We want to wish our friends, colleagues and relatives success and thriving during good and bad time. For example, Fortune Cat Fortune Everywhere is suitable as well wishes for prosperity. Simply put, this gift is to wish the owner fortune and success in everything that they do. For shop or business owner, the Fortune Cat Booming Business will be most ideal gift.
Where to place fortune cat
It is recommended to place your fortune cat in a bright and unobstructed location. It should be easily visible by everyone. As fortune cat is meant to attract wealth and good luck to the owner, it should be placed at cashier counter in shop, shop front facing main road or main door. In house setting, use it as a decoration in your living room or entrance cabinet if you have one. For offices, put it on your table or cabinet that is most visible to everyone. Generally, it is not necessary to engage a fengshui master to advise on the placement of fortune cat.
Fortune cat colors meaning
Most of the time, people will associate prosperity with wealth. When considering the best colors for your wealth prosperity the colors green, silver and gold represent actual currency. As a result, these colors are often seen in a lot of the fortune cat design to promote affluence in life. Red and purple represent the fire element for fame and recognition. Green represents the wood element that rules the wealth sector. Black and blue represent the water element that governs career sector. You can utilize any or all of these colors to enhance your prosperity luck, especially your wealth and abundance luck.
Fortune cat figurine
In modern society, fortune cat has been transformed to various different shape and form to address different needs and occasions. The fortune cat figurine will have a few common design elements such a waving left hand, cute and adorable smiley face. The eye and mouth of a classic lucky cat often design in a simple single line only.
They are design using different auspicious colors such as red, white and gold. These colors often represents prosperity and good luck. Secondary colors such as yellow, orange, pink and black are often used to create a harmony design combination.
Depending on the type of figurine, most of the home, shop and office based figurines are made using ceramic. It is important that the figurine that promise good luck and wealth to the owner to be sturdy and place accordingly in the right place to attract positive energy. Fortune cat Singapore customer can browse our variety of collection here.
Waving fortune cat
The waving cat may have originated as a representation of good fortune guarding against evil, but most sources attribute its popularity to the Chinese novel “Journey to the West”. The waving lucky cat, also known as maneki neko in Japanese, originated in Japan around the 17th century when a statue of a cat was left at a tea house to bring the owner good fortune. It was believed that the owner’s business would flourish and he would become wealthy with more customers.
Japanese fortune cat
The story goes that a feudal lord named Okata invited an artist to come paint his castle. While the artist was painting he realized that he was running out of colors. The artist prayed for divine intervention and upon hearing his prayer, a cat appeared from nowhere, bringing him all his colours needed to finish his work. In gratitude, the artist painted a picture of the cat with its paws raised and gave it to Okata who, after seeing its mysterious powers, adopted it into their family crest. From that day on, the maneki neko became synonymous with good fortune and prosperity.
