Bless your home with a Lucky Cat or Daruma doll! You can choose from different colours, each with their own meaning. Orientique has Lucky Cats and Daruma dolls that symbolise good luck, fortune, academic success, and more. These Lucky Cats and Daruma dolls make the perfect gift to bless your friends and loved ones as well. Read on to learn more about Lucky Cats and Daruma dolls.

Lucky Cats

Often, these figurines are thought to be Chinese in origin due to its popularity in Chinatowns across the world. However, Lucky Cats have their origins in Japan. The original name of the Lucky Cat is ‘Maneki-Neko’ which is Japanese for ‘beckoning cat’. The act of a cat washing its ears was seen as a beckoning gesture. It was believed to attract customers into the business. Hence it became a symbol of good luck for business owners.

Lucky Cat Colours and their Symbolic Meanings

Originally, Lucky Cats only came in white, which symbolises getting good luck and overall good fortune. Over the years new colours were born by combining the Lucky Cat with Feng Shui principles. The colours and their respective meaning are:

• Black Lucky Cat        - wards off evil
• Red Lucky Cat        - good health
• Yellow/Gold Lucky Cat    - wealth
• Pink Lucky Cat        - romance
• Green Lucky Cat        - academic success

Daruma Dolls

A Daruma doll is a hollow and round Japanese traditional doll. It is modelled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. The Daruma dolls symbolise, just like the Lucky Cats, good luck and also perseverance, which makes them popular gifts of encouragement.

A Daruma Doll’s Design and Symbolic Meaning

The entire design of the Daruma, the shape, colour, eyes, facial hair, and writing, all have their own symbolic meaning. 

• Shape: Daruma dolls are round, hollow, and weighted at the bottom. It allows the Daruma to return to an upright position when tilted over. This characteristic symbolises the ability to have success, overcome adversity, and overcome misfortune. 
• Colour: the red colour is a representation of the Bodhidharma wearing red robes and signifies energy and good health. Although red is the original colour of the Daruma, nowadays you can also find Daruma’s in gold (money and fame), black (ward off bad luck), and green/blue (health).
• Eyes: the eyes aren’t filled in initially. That is because the recipient of the Daruma has to fill in one eye upon setting a goal, then the other upon fulfilling the goal. This is done to remind the recipient of the goal whenever one sees the Daruma.
• Facial hair: is a symbolic representation of animals that embody longevity in Asian cultures. The eyebrows are in the shape of a crane and the cheek hair represent the shell of a tortoise.
• Writing: on the midsection of the Daruma, you can find the kanji (福) for luck, fortune, perseverance. It is a reflection of the reason why the doll was bought.

How to Use a Daruma Doll

As mentioned before, the eyes of the Daruma are missing when bought. Fill in the first eye while committing to your goal (and asking for help from the god). Once you achieve your goal, you paint in the second eye - giving the god its eyesight back as a thank you for helping you achieve the goal. 

A Great Gift for Yourself and Others

A Lucky Cat or Daruma doll makes the perfect gift. Not only will they make the receiver happy, but these figurines and talismans also are incredibly meaningful. Whether you wish a recovering patient good health with a red Lucky Cat or wish a friend good luck and perseverance with a Daruma. The receiver of the Lucky Cat or Daruma doll will surely get your thoughtfulness.

Explore the Orientique Webshop

Orientique has more than Lucky Cats and Daruma dolls. You can find wonderful oriental furniture for your home, lamps and lights to brighten your home and a myriad of home accessories like Chinese cushion covers, vases and ginger jars, oriental paintings and more. We got everything to turn your house into a home with an oriental touch.

Got Questions?

If you have questions regarding Lucky Cats and Daruma dolls, or encountered problems on the website, feel free to contact us. We at Orientique are ready to help.