Traditional Alaskan Billiken Carvings

Like the horseshoe, the Billiken is a notable good-luck charm.

Alaskan gift shops and Inuit tribes have been claiming the native tradition of Billiken carvings for decades, but the figure was actually first created by a female teacher from Kansas City in 1908.

History

On October 6, 1908, Missouri art teacher Florence Pretz was given a patent for her design of the small, pot-bellied statue. Almost immediately the Billiken became an international craze, selling as far as Europe and Japan, then eventually to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. The figurines were quickly seen by celebrated Eskimo carver Angokwaghuk, also know as "Happy Jack," who began to carve his own ivory versions. These copies successfully started a new tradition of subject for Inuit carvers and continue so to this day.

Appearance

The Billiken has been made from all types of material, such as ivory to clay and glass, and by several different manufacturers, but fundamentally the features of the god are the same. Typically it is grinning, with spiked hair, squinty eyes, pointy ears, hands plastered to the sides of the body and feet that stick out straight.

Uses

The Billiken is first and foremost a good-luck charm that bears the slogan "the God of thing as they ought to be." In Alaska, a tradition of rubbing the belly of the Billiken for good luck is not far from the Asian uses of the Buddah. The figure has been used in hundreds of objects, including key chains, banks, salt and pepper shakers and dolls, all of which are said to bring good fortune. The Billiken has also been used as mascots, religious gods and even institutional brands.

References

• Church of Good Luck: Billiken
• JMB Galleries: Billiken from Alaska
• Billiken Lore: The Billiken