Post by Jessie Desmond on May 1, 2015 10:02:33 GMT -9
Traveling through Alaska and going through tourist shops or antique shops, you will find a little lucky guy called a Billiken. They are usually carved out of ivory or whale tooth, feature an elf-like face, and usually have a belly button spot - sometimes marked with a small gold nugget. Billikens are a good luck figurine that was first patented in 1908 by art teacher Florence Pretz of Kansas City, Missouri, though they showed up in America and Canada before then. In Alaska, in 1908, an ivory carver from Nome copied the billiken figure in ivory form. The figure has been associated with Alaska ever since. The figure occasionally shows up in female form as well, but are called Millikens.
Billikens are “the gods of things as they ought to be”. They are also associated with good luck and happiness. Give the billiken a little positive attention and good luck will come your way, as the legend goes.
Billikens are “the gods of things as they ought to be”. They are also associated with good luck and happiness. Give the billiken a little positive attention and good luck will come your way, as the legend goes.