Out & About San Diego — Last 10 days to see the beckoning cats

Last 10 days to see the beckoning cats

Maneki Neko, Japan's Beckoning Cats: From Talisman to Pop Icon ends it exhibition run at the Mingei International Museum on January 15, 2012. That means you have just ten days left to see 155 beckoning cats!

Most of the cats are made of clay, but some are wood, metal, ceramic, and papier mâché.

The collection was given to the Mingei International Museum by Billie Moffat of Long Beach, California, whom some readers might recognize as the maiden name and hometown of international tennis star Billie Jean King.

Since the 1600s in Japan, a fabricated cat with its paw upraised in the Japanese gesture of beckoning — a maneki neko — has been considered a good luck charm, drawing good fortune to individuals and businesses. They are common sights in Japanese and Chinese restaurant windows.

The Mingei International Museum is located at 1439 El Prado in Balboa Park in San Diego, California.

Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for seniors, youth age 6-17, students with ID, and military with ID.

Hours are:

• Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Closed Mondays and national holidays

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