New · Made in Ishikawa, Japan · For a new chapter in life
Kutani porcelain · purple glaze with sakura · 11 cm · paper box
Kutani Praying Cat, Purple with Cherry Blossoms
A small cat with its paws pressed together, glazed purple and painted with cherry blossoms.
$189 Free shipping to 32 countries
Order by December 8 to make sure it arrives before Christmas.
We ship to mainland China: free, tracked. Import duties, if any, are paid on delivery. Where we ship
Colour: Purple with Cherry Blossoms · For a new chapter in life
A gift for luck and protection
Leaves Fukuoka within one week by EMS, with tracking.
The story: Maneki-nekoWatch the 47-second film, or read it →What buyers say · ★★★★★ on Etsy
“Received updates regarding the item I purchased and when it arrived could tell that it was packed with care; my fragile ceramic bunny arrived in perfect condition! A wonderful purchase and I would buy from this shop again”
Jessica · United States
1 more from buyers
“Item was as described and in photos shown. Excellent quality. Seller very knowledgable and took the time to explain everything”
Tiang N. · Australia
- Made in Japan. Kutani ware, from Ishikawa prefecture.
- New, never used. Checked and packed by hand in Fukuoka.
- Returns within 14 days of delivery. Not right? Send it back as it came and we refund the full price, return postage included.
- Packed safely, sent by EMS within one week, fully insured, with tracking.
Duties, checkout and extras
- ★ 5.0 on Etsy · Star Seller. Read the reviews ↗
- Import tax. It depends on your country; if any is due, it is collected on delivery.
- US import duties. Already included in the price: nothing to pay at your door.
- Secure checkout by Stripe — cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. No account needed.
- Two pieces, one parcel. Each extra piece in the same order is $15 off at checkout.
- Orders of $200 or more travel with a gift to keep: Japanese chopsticks with a rest in a paulownia box, or a Nara kaya-cloth handkerchief.
The story
Most lucky cats wave. This one has put its paws together, the way people do at a shrine before they ask for something: oinori-neko, the praying cat. In purple, it looks less like a charm and more like a thought.
The meaning
Colour meanings for maneki-neko vary from maker to maker. Some say purple stands for wisdom and spiritual growth, others for long life. Either way it is a cat for the middle of a life, when the question is no longer what to get but what to keep. Give it to a friend who is retiring, going back to school, or sorting through a decision that will not be hurried.
The craft
Kutani is known for deep colour. The purple is laid over the porcelain as a glaze, and the cherry blossoms are painted on top with a fine brush before the cat goes back into the kiln. Because the flowers are done by hand, the branch grows in a slightly different direction on each cat. Look at the photos, then expect something near them and not identical. Made in Japan.
Living with it
About 11 cm tall, it sits well on a bookshelf, among the books you have actually read. If you have ever stood quietly at a crossroads, you may know what it is for.
How it comes
In a paper box, wrapped carefully and sent from Fukuoka. If it makes you think of someone, tell them.
How it travels
Packed safely, insured in full
Every piece is packed by hand in Fukuoka inside a sturdy 3 mm corrugated carton, cushioned all round with air pillows so it cannot move. It travels with tracking all the way to your door: by EMS, insured for its full value, on orders of $100 or more, and by tracked airmail below that.
More Maneki-neko on the shelf · 8 →
A question about this piece — size, marks, condition? Ask the house, we answer within a day.