Maneki Neko
Maneki nekos (招き猫, ‘beckoning cat’) are ceramic or plastic cat figures originating from japan, but are popular across other parts of Asia too.
They’re often seen in shops & restaurants, with the raised paw ‘beckoning’ customers to the store.
Many hold a koban coin, a traditional japanese coin.
A common feature is a solar panel to power the paw to move back and forth.
The moving paw often creates quite some noise: I put electric tape over the panel if this noise is excessive.
You can encounter them in Asian stores in pretty much any country.
The collection I have amassed is from my travels through Europe and China.
While they are said to bring good luck, I have yet to experience this. :P
An excellent maneki neko shop I stumbled upon in a market in the great city of Chongqing. (highres versions: 1, 2, 3)
And another maneki neko shop, deep in the heart of Guangzhou: (highres version)
Bonus meme: the humble elegance of the Chinese cigarette box. China has a truly vast number of cigarette brands, so plenty of visual variety. (highres version)
Truth be told, I do miss my ol’ daily 白沙…
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