When people think or see a "Lucky Cat" Figurine, most of them will immediately think those are "Japanese Stuffs". Maneki-Neko first appeared in Japan, during the later part of the Edo period (1603 – 1868) in Japan. However, the idea of a "Lucky Cat" dated back 1000 years earlier in China. It was 1st recorded in an Ancient Chinese Book during Tang Dynasty, known as 'The Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang' (酉阳杂俎 - You Yang Za Zu).
**The Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang (酉阳杂俎, You Yang Za Zu) is a miscellany of Chinese and foreign legends and hearsay, reports on natural phenomena, short anecdotes, and tales of the wondrous and mundane, as well as notes on such topics as medicinal herbs and tattoos. The book was written by Duan Cheng Shi (段成式) in the 9th century, and is divided into 30 volumes, containing unusually varied content in over thirteen hundred entries that describe the world that Duan Cheng Shi heard about, read of, or personally observed.
**Duan Cheng Shi (段成式, Duan Cheng Shi) (died 863) was a Chinese writer of the Tang Dynasty.
Below is the original Chinese Text Record of the idea of the "Lucky Cat" in 'The Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang' - Beyond the Western Regions (酉陽雜俎-出西域)
酉陽雜俎-出西域
貓目睛暮圓及午豎斂如綖其鼻端常冷唯夏至一日暖其毛不容蚤虱黑者暗中逆循其毛即若火星俗言貓洗面過耳則客至. 楚州謝陽出貓有褐花者靈武紅叱撥及青騘色者貓一名𫎇貴一名烏員平陵城古潭國也城中有一貓常帶金鎻有錢飛若蛺蝶士人徃徃見之.
Explanation of the text in Chinese
綖:音现。通线。火星:静电火花。楚州:今淮安楚州区。谢阳:射阳。在淮安东南。灵武:今宁夏灵武。红叱拨:本是马名。唐天宝中,西域进汗血马六匹,分别以红、紫、青、黄、丁香、桃花叱拨为名。青骢:原指毛色青白相杂的骏马。平陵城:由下文‘古谭国’可知是在今章丘市龙山的平陵城-李祐叛平,改称全节。非陕西扶风平陵(在今咸阳西北)。古谭国:谭国,在今山东济南东南章丘市龙山镇。谭国后为齐所灭。蛱蝶:凤蝶一种。士人:或土人？指当地人。
猫,瞳孔傍晚会圆,到了中午竖立收敛如线。它的鼻子端头经常是凉的,唯有夏至那一天是暖的。它的毛不容许有跳蚤虱子, 黑猫暗中用手逆循它的毛,当时就会像起火星。俗话说猫洗面爪捋过耳朵就会有客人来。楚州射阳出产的猫,有毛色褐花的。灵武的猫有红叱拨及青骢色的。猫一个名叫蒙贵,另一名叫乌员。在平陵城-就是春秋时的谭国-城中有一只猫,花纹就像带着金锁,钱一样的斑纹就像蛱蝶在飞,当地人往往会看见这只猫。
【相关链接】《水经注·卷八·济水》:‘又北径东平陵县故城西。故陵城也,后乃加平,谭国也。齐桓之出过谭,谭不礼焉,鲁庄公九年即位,又不朝,十年灭之。’
《尔雅·释兽》:“蒙颂,猱状。”李时珍《本草纲目·兽四》:“蒙颂一名蒙贵,乃蜼之又小者也。紫黑色,出交趾,畜以捕鼠。胜于猫貍。”
Explanation of the text in English
酉阳杂俎-出西域 (The Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang - Beyond the Western Regions)
猫，目睛旦暮圆，及午竖敛如线。其鼻端常冷，唯夏至一日暖。其毛不容蚤虱。黑者, 暗中逆循其毛，即若火星。俗言"猫洗面过耳。则客至"。
The eyes of a cat are round in the morning and becomes a vertical line during afteroon. It's nose is usally cold. Only during summer time, the nose becomes warm. It doesn't allow its fur to be infested with fleas and lice. When the black cats stroke it's fur, it looks like Sparkling Stars. There is a common saying:"When a cat washes it's face over it's ear, that means guests are coming".
楚州谢阳,出猫,有褐花者,灵武红叱拨及青騘色者,猫一名𫎇贵一名乌员,平陵城古潭国,也城中有一猫常带金鎻,有钱,飞若蛱蝶,士人徃徃见之。
At Chu-Zhou (楚州) Xie-Yang (谢阳) area, there are brownish cats (褐花者). Over at Ling Wu (灵武) area, there are Reddish Cats (红叱拨) and Greenish Cats (青騘色), One cat is called "Meng Gui-𫎇贵", another one is called "乌员-Wu Yuan". At Ping Ling Wall (平陵城) of the Tan State (潭国), inside the city, there is one cat, the patterns on it's body look like golden chains. The Money-like markings are like flying butterflies. The locals have seen it with their eyes.
How the idea of "Lucky Cat" end up in Japan?
During around Tang Dynasty period, between 607 and 838, Japan sent 19 missions to China, known as Japanese missions to Tang China (遣唐使, Kentōshi). The reason was for the importation of Chinese culture, knowledge of sciences and technology. This was probably the period that the "Lucky Cat" Idea was brought back to Japan.
Chinese loves them
It is during the 19th century (Edo Period) that Japan began to create "Lucky Cat" Figurines. No doubt, the modern days 'Lucky Cats' figurines are made popular by Japanese. Due to the Cuteness of the "Lucky Cats" the Chinese put them on display on the counters of their shops and is immensly popular in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan.
**Important Note:
I (Taoist Sorcery Master / Kumantong 4D Master) still prefer to keep a real ghost, such as The Kumantong. Many people think "Lucky Cat" is a "Feng Shui' money-magnet. To me, Maneki-Neko, the Luck Cat, is just a cute toy to put as display that serve no real purpose. Some Kumantong figurines have the design of 1 or 2 hands raised up in "hi, please come in" posture just like the "Lucky Cats" but Kumantongs are real spiritual entities. Another type of figurine that has the 1 or 2 hands raising is called "Nam-Kwat" (Thai Wealth Goddess) - which is also a real spiritual entity.
However, remember keeping a Kumantong or Nam-Kwat, You are seriously dabbling with the occult. If You don't have the guts to "play" with the other side, it is better to just keep a "Lucky Cat" for fun.
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