Description
The Billiken is considered Alaska's good luck charm and first appeared around 1909.
In Alaskan tradition, catching and rubbing a Billiken’s can bring you good luck or grant wishes.
The term “Billiken” originates in an 1896 poem by Canadian poet Bliss Carmen. This in turn inspired American art teacher and illustrator, Florence Pretz of Missouri, who claimed she saw the Billiken in a dream. She filed a patent for the concept in 1908; by 1909, the figure had already spread to The Last Frontier.
An Eskimo carver named Angokwazhuk is purported to have been the first to carve a Billiken out of Alaskan ivory.
Billikens come in many different sizes and are crafted from various materials. Billikens come in many forms such as pendants, earrings, key chains, and larger self-standing show pieces like the one here.