vintage japanese folkcraft mikawa maneki neko lucky cat

Love Japanese Style Like We Do

A vintage tsuchi ningyo, or clay doll. The maneki neko is a Mikawa lucky cat from the Mikawa region in Aichi prefecture. Mikawa cats can be identified by their sharp pointed ears, wide hips and short winding tail. They sit front on and wear a thin red collar.

Clay dolls were one of the first kind of folk toys made in Japan, beginning around the Heian Era. They were made in molds and then hand painted with mineral pigments to give them life. Each doll had a slightly different expression and was a unique piece. The molds and techniques were passed down through generations. Their production peaked in the Edo and Meiji Eras, but unfortunately few artists remain these days.

The Mikawa cat’s body is coated in a white mineral pigment paint with accents of red glossy paint on its ears and its collar. Random black shiny spots, outlined in grey, adorn its body. The cat’s tall, upright ears and wide open eyes are both capable of searching for good fortune from afar. It’s left arm is raised beckoning in good fortune, customers and important people to your life. A gold bell suspended from its collar is said to ward off evil.

Traditional clay dolls, made in molds and using techniques passed down from the Edo and Meiji Eras, are hard to come by. Few artists remain and being hand made and hand painted, they can only be made in small quantities. A very special lucky cat with a lovely rustic folkcraft feel.

- measures around 24 cm (9.5”) tall x 17 cm (6.7”) wide x 13 cm (5.2”) deep.
- weighs 870 gm.

(listing for Mikawa cat only)

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ABOUT MIKAWA MANEKI NEKO
The Mikawa area in Aichi has a long tradition of making clay dolls with their origins coming from the Fushimi dolls. They were prized for their artistry and simple beauty. Their most famous dolls were called Oboko; kabuki dolls, boys’ day dolls and hinamatsuri dolls, to name a few designs. Over one thousand different molds have been identified from the Mikawa kilns. 

Production of tsuchi ningyo (clay dolls) in Mikawa was somewhat of a cottage industry, with figures being created not only by professionals but by farmers in their off season too.

Traditional Mikawa tsuchi ningyo were eye catching and were made for display and visual enjoyment. This was particularly so of the region’s maneki neko.  The Mikawa cats were  bold and large, vibrant and impressive.

The Mikawa maneki neko production began in the early twentieth century. The classic Mikawa style is a front facing cat noted for it’s full body, large hips, a short tail winding up it’s back, sharp facial features and tall pointed ears. The body is typically white with a darker shading on the hips, shoulders and back of the head and ears. The collar was a simple band, painted red with a formed bell painted gold or yellow.

Mikawa cats could be very large, sometimes exceeding 25 inches, (63.5 cm), making them the largest of traditional maneki neko. They became popular as gifts, especially as gifts to celebrate the opening of an inn or restaurant. Competition arose as to who received the largest cat, spurring the artists to make even bigger figures. In fact,  the biggest clay cat ever made is 35. 5 inches (90 cm) tall and it was a Mikawa cat!

The Mikawa style of cat became one of the predominant forms of maneki neko and versions of this style began to be produced at kilns in other areas.

TSUCHI NINGYO
Tsuchi Ningyo, or clay dolls, are one of the folk toys that can be seen in many areas in Japan, along with Hariko dolls, or paper mache dolls. Both have been the simplest form of dolls since the Heian period.

The shapes of the baked clay dolls are made in a mold and those same molds have been passed down through generations of the families who make them.

Clay dolls are painted and do not need to be dressed in clothes.  The intricate work of the painting and the vivid colors put the soul into the dolls, making them very attractive.

The roots of tsuchi ningyo can be traced back to Fushimi  Ningyo,  the clay dolls made in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture. They became popular souvenirs for people who visited Fushimi Inari Taisha and they spread to many areas in Japan. 

Tsuchi Ningyo in each area of Japan have close connections with local customs, folk religions and annual events. Hina Sama dolls, Manekineko dolls, Ebisu and Daikoku God dolls, Tenjinsama, (the lucky god for study) and bells depicting the 12 animals of the Japanese Zodiac are just a few examples. 

As Tsuchi ningyo age the paintwork fades giving them a charm all of their own. Antique clay dolls and gods with almost no paintwork are quite sought after and have a lovely ‘wabisabi’ feel.

At the end of Edo Period and Meiji Era, there were about 150 areas in Japan producing Tsuchi Ningyo. Now, there are only 40 areas; about one-fourth of the peak. Although the number of makers is decreasing, there are still many avid fans collecting Tsuchi Ningyo made by famous craftsman. Many local areas are now trying to revive the production of their  special Tsuchi Ningyo.

MANEKI NEKO
Maneki neko, or the beckoning cat, is a good luck charm that dates back to the Edo era. It was traditionally used by businesses to beckon in customers and money. A raised left paw beckons in customers and a raised right paw beckons in money and good fortune.  

These days, not just businesses, but almost every Japanese household has a maneki neko for good luck. Sometimes both of the paws are raised! There are so many different kinds of maneki neko and they really make a wonderful collection item.