Vintage · Made in Japan · one of one
Tokoname ware · glazed ceramic · 10 cm
Tokoname Ware Maneki Neko
A black cat, glossy as wet stone, with a red collar and a gold bell. One paw is raised.
$98 Free shipping to 32 countries
Order by November 20 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
A gift for luck and protection · a collector · a new business
Leaves Fukuoka within three business days by tracked airmail.
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. Made in Japan, found in Japan, and sent to you from Fukuoka.
- One of one. This exact piece, photographed in our studio 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 tracked airmail within three business days. Order $100 or more and it flies EMS express.
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
Four hundred years ago, so the story goes, a lord was riding past a poor little temple on the edge of Edo when he saw the temple cat lift its paw, as if calling him in. He went in to see. A moment later lightning split the tree he had been sheltering under. He became the temple's patron, and the temple was never poor again.
That is the beckoning cat, the maneki neko, said to call luck and customers toward whoever keeps it. A black one is said to keep bad luck away as well.
The craft
Tokoname, in Aichi prefecture, is one of the six ancient kilns of Japan, and its potters have worked since the twelfth century. Today it is known across Japan for its ceramic lucky cats. This one is glazed ceramic, high-gloss black, coloured and painted by hand.
Living with it
At 10 cm it fits on a desk, a bookshelf or beside the front door. Set it where light catches the gold of the bell. If you have ever been called in out of the rain at exactly the right moment, you will understand the cat. It would suit someone opening a small shop, or a friend who collects cats.
• Tokoname ware, glazed ceramic, hand-painted • Vintage • Made in Japan
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.