Group of Ceramic and Wood Maneki Neko
| Mingei International Museum, Gifts of Billie L. Moffit, and private collection. Photo by Lynton Gardiner
GENERAL EXHIBIT HOURS | 10:00 am to 5:45 pm | Free with JFG admission.
The beckoning cat, or maneki neko, is a talisman of good fortune (engimono) and as such attracts happiness, wealth and good fortune, while diverting evil forces. This exhibition is drawn from Mingei International Museum’s collection of over 150 maneki neko donated to the Museum in 2011 by Bay Area-connoisseur Billie L. Moffitt. The Museum’s collection includes cats in a variety of media, including clay, porcelain, stone, papier mȃchė, metal and wood, all crafted in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Numerous Japanese kiln sites are represented in this exhibition, including Bizen, Kutani, Fushimi, Tokoname, Seto, Shigaraki and Mikawa. Differences in materials, colors, paw heights, bibs, bells and other stylistic and formal considerations create individual expression in these beguiling felines.
*Hours subject to change during special events. Refer to niwa.org/early-garden-closures.
MANEKI NEKO! Draw your own maneko neko or print out and color a maneki neko coloring page below for a chance to win a maneki neko from our gift shop! The Japanese Friendship Garden wants you to create your own good luck charm by participating in our lucky cat project — one winner will be announced on our Instagram on November 16!
To participate, share your good luck with us by adding the hashtag #JFGmanekineko, tagging us on Instagram @jfgsandiego, and tagging two other friends!
Mingei International Museum, located in the heart of Balboa Park, is dedicated to furthering the understanding of folk art, craft and design. The Museum aims to inspire people to celebrate human creativity and recognize, embrace and cultivate their own creativity through an inviting, fresh, and always engaging look at a diverse range of thoughtfully designed, crafted and passionately made objects from around the world.
