Catmasutra cat art lands in Hong Kong!

Catmasutra is in Hong Kong!

Cat of Prosperity(18 x 24")

After a flurry of events, the paintings have safely arrived in Hong Kong ;) What better way to introduce catmaSutra cat art in today's somewhat dampened climate than the "Cat of Prosperity". Taking inspiration from The Maneki Neko or the 招き猫, the CatmaSutra cat of Prosperity is armed not with one but four prosperity charms. The gold coin is called a koban, (used during the Edo period in Japan), and it is deemed to worth ten million ryō (千万両). The mallet, on the other hand, can be traced back to Daikoku, variously known to be the god of wealth, or of the household, particularly the kitchen. He is recognised by his eyes-wide-closed and ear-to-ear smile, and a flat black hat (hmm...perhaps the catmasSutra cat comes from his household ;) He is often portrayed carrying a golden 'magic money' mallet called a Uchide Nokozuchi. The golden mallet can magically produce anything Daikokuten desires when he strikes it. Quite customary for Maneki Neko, the catmaSutra cat wears a red collar but here with a Kame, a tailed tortoise longevity charm as they are fabled to live ten thousand years.

Last but not least, is the catmaSutra cat's very own Tai Fish (sea beam), a symbol of good fortune as it is almost always depicted with its captor, the god Ebisu. Ebisu is one of the Seven Lucky Gods (or Shichifukujin), and he embodies candour, wealth, the morning sun, and young children as well as being the patron god for fishermen and fair business practices. As the myth goes, Ebisu was born without bones and was cast out to sea in a boat of reeds. Despite his hardships, he eventually evolved into the ever-smiling god, Ebisu.

Of course, more valuable than any of these prosperity charms is the ability to smile, come what may, in good and bad times. That's the essense of the catmaSutra cat!

Wonder without Willpower (30 x 30")


Inside water, a waterwheel turns.
A star circulates with the moon.

We live in the night ocean,

what are these lights?
~
You have said what you are.
I am what I am.
Your actions in my head,
my head here in my hands
with something circling inside.
I have no name
for what circles
so perfectly.

;)