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SKU: 200716-12

Eskimo Walrus Ivory Billiken Bolo

$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

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