Centuries of Billiken Doll Charm

The Billiken doll was created for the purpose of bringing luck. The amulet doll was the brainchild of American illustrator and art teacher Florence Pretz, who applied for a patent for the design on June 12, 1908 and was later granted it on October 6 of the same year. The image was said to come from a dream, but the name of the image was not particularly mentioned in the patent. Most speculated that the image name was left to the dolls’ manufacturers and distributors, which were The Craftsman’s Guild, The Billiken Sales Co., and The Billiken Company Chicago.

The elf-like life features and Billiken’s smiling image were to bring luck to people who own the figure. Various Billiken products were then made after the doll became a fad. The first Billiken dolls were made by the Horsman Company in 1909 and were 12″ tall dolls made with a plush body but a head structured with Horsman’s “Can’t Break Em” material. About 200,000 of the dolls Billiken were sold in just six months.

But the popularity of the doll did not stop there. Various Billiken products were made, such as benches, postcards, marshmallows, incense burners, charm tokens, and puzzles. Some Billiken figurines had medallions below their base marked “The God of Things As They Should Be” and the trademark would be The Craftsman Guild Highland Park Ill. or The Billiken Chicago Ill. Billiken benches were also made by AC Williams Co., which came out with two cast-iron mounted versions. The first was the image of the Billiken sitting on the ground and the other was sitting on a throne.

Also in 1909, several souvenir shops in Alaska carried ivory figurines bearing Billiken’s likeness. The first ivory statuette was carved by an Eskimo named Angokwazhuk who copied the image after being commissioned by a businessman to create one. Soon other carvers ventured into the business and the figurines became a famous tourist souvenir in Alaska. Due to the popularity of the image, the Billiken character came to Japan.

In 1921, the pointy-eared Billiken character became the official mascot of Saint Louis University and St. Louis University High School. Today, although the dolls and the rest of its products are not as popular as before, the image of Billiken is still very present. The sensational craze she brought may no longer be duplicated, but items, especially dolls, are one of the most sought after vintage items by collectors.