Monday, January 30, 2012
Staff report
Alliance
The Feline Historical Museum will open an exhibition Wednesday that will showcase its Maneki Neko, or “Welcoming Cat,” collection.
Statues of the ever-popular Maneki Neko can be found in restaurants and business establishments worldwide.
Their history traces back as far as the Edo period in Japan (1603-1867), when the figurine established a reputation for bringing good luck and good fortune to those who exhibited one.
The CFA Foundation was the recipient of a collection of Maneki Neko in 2011, shortly after opening the Feline Historical Museum in Alliance.
The gift of Don Hargrove of Tennessee is in one of the nation’s largest public collections of Maneki Neko. In addition, the exhibition also contains numerous related items on loan from collectors around North America.
The Maneki Neko in the museum’s Special Collection Room range in size from minuscule to almost 2 feet in height and are in a wide variety of mediums, colors, decorations, and expressions. All sport their trademark — the raised paw, whether it be left or right.
The Feline Historical Museum is owned by the Cat Fancier’s Association. It is located at 260 E. Main St, downtown.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 1 to 7 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
For more information, call 330-680-4444; email info@FelineHistoricalFoundation.org, or go to felinehistoricalfoundation.org.