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. x)
an excellent maneki neko shop i stumbled upon in a market in the great city of Chongqing. (highres version: 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 kick.
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