$195.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
ca. 1950
32" L x 1.125" H x 1" W Bolo Piece with 1.625" L Ivory Tips
Hand Carved from Walrus Ivory of a Smiling Billiken Figure by Alaskan Natives
In Very Good Condition
The Billiken is a whimsical, good-luck charm originating in the early 1900s. It was invented by Florence Pretz in Missouri around 1908 as a plump, smiling, elf-like figure with pointed ears, a bald head, and a mischievous grin—often described as a cross between a Buddha and a Kewpie doll. In Alaska, Native carvers adapted it into ivory carvings, turning it into one of the most iconic Alaskan souvenirs. By the mid-20th century, Billikens were widely produced in walrus ivory, sperm whale tooth, or other materials, symbolizing good fortune and heavily marketed to tourists, soldiers, and visitors.
Condition:
Very Good
Tribe:
Eskimo - Inuit - Yup'ik
Year Range:
1950 - 1975
Region:
Inuit
Dimensions:
32 in1.13 in1 in1.63 in
Category:
Jewelry - Northwest - Hide - Ivory - Bone - Celluloid
