Multiple materials

The Lucky Cat’s most famous look is that of white skin with a red collar and golden highlights. This depiction was already painted by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) in a street view where a man is selling statues of the Lucky Cat. It is the oldest piece of art that depicts the Lucky Cat.[cf] Yet, over the course of time, the Lucky Cat has diversified in terms of the color of its fur, the material from which it is made, and the objects it carries.

Lucky Cats can be made from different types of materials. Some are made of wood, some of clay, others of porcelain. The wooden statues are mostly associated with old folk beliefs. [cf] These wooden cats are most likely the ones depicted by Utagawa Hiroshige. The Maneki Neko, which is the Japanese name for the cat and directly translates to ‘beckoning cat’, was still believed to work as a talisman at that time in Japan. In recent times, demand for the cat has continued to rise. Modern ones are often made of plastic, as they are mass produced in factories.