Japanese Wind Chime Black Cat Neko Kuro

Japanese fūrin wind chime made of cast iron, black cat (Neko Kuro)

In the West, black cats have a bad reputation. In Japan, however, the opposite is true: they are counted amongst the fukuneko, or lucky cats, and are believed to have the power to ward off trouble, because they can see clearly in the dark. As early as the late 9th century, Emperor Uda wrote about his own black cat. This Japanese cast-iron wind chime is shaped like a cat, and the tanzaku – the paper strip that catches the wind – features a design of a fish suspended beneath its paws. Measuring 4.8 cm by 6.9 cm and weighing 140 g, you can hang it just about anywhere: on a curtain rail, a shaded terrace or a window hook.