This amazing derailleur is an unassuming, off-the-shelf, mid-range Shimano model that has been refinished with a very fetching and striking, metal-flake, design.

The repainting was done by Kakiku RE Bicycle Workshop, based in Fukuoka, Japan. They appear to have decorated a number of Shimano components, and even groupsets, in this, touchingly Japanese, way.

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The base derailleur here is a Shimano Tiagra (4700 SS).

Inspired by a Japanese correspondent (and Google Translator) I have called this design 'Lucky Gecko'.

In Japanese culture, the gecko is known as 'Yamori' or 'house protector'. Seeing a gecko on your house is associated with good luck. This is possibly because geckos voraciously eat insects, including those infernal critters that like to snack on the wooden beams holding up your valuable property.

This art work appears to be signed 'Cachi' - perhaps the name of the artist.

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• Derailleur brands: Shimano, repainted by Kakiku RE Bicycle Workshop
• Categories: Shimano - weirdness
• Country: Japan
• Date of introduction: 2017?
• Date of this example: 2015 (two letter code 'ND')
• Model no.: 4700 SS
• Weight: 2587g
• Maximum cog: 28 teeth (Shimano)
• Total capacity: 33 teeth (Shimano)
• Pulley centre to centre: 60mm
• Index compatibility: 10 speed
• Chain width: 3/32”
• Logic: top normal
• B pivot: sprung
• P pivot: sprung
• Materials: composite p-knuckle, steel inner parallelogram plate and pulley cage, the rest of the major parts are aluminium.

Ref. 2070