Collection:
Juneau—Douglas City Museum
Object ID:
2010.20.027
Accession#:
2010.20
Credit Line:
Donated by Ann Monagle.
Object Name:
Figurine
Title:
Ivory Billiken Pendant
Year Range from:
1900
Year Range to:
1970
Description:
Ivory figurine of a Billiken. The Billiken's face has a smiling closed mouth, squinted eyes and large cheeks. It has pointed ears and a pointed head. Face and body details in back ink. The bottom of the Billiken's feet and toes are seen beneath its torso. Both hands are straight down on the sides. Back is flat and blank. Hands and feet carved in low relief. There is a hole in the figure's pointed head so that the charm could be used as a jewelry pendant.

Billikens are happy faced good luck charms.
Notes:
Collection was collected by Mary Moncia (Monagle) Tweet, oldest daughter of Mary Monica (Hudson) Monagle and James William Mongale. Mary Tweet collected the items when she was a postmistress in Teller from 1931 through 1970 and sent the items back to her mother in Juneau. Mary Monagle kept the collection until her death in 1966 when Rosellen Lillegraven inherited the collection. Rosellen (originally Margaret Ellen Rose Monagle) gave the collection to her brother Merritt Monagle circa 1991. Merritt was the youngest child of Mary and James Monagle. Donor, Ann Monagle, was one of two children of Merritt Monagle and Katherine Monagle. Merritt died in 2004.

Billikens were first created by Florence Pretz.
People:
Monagle, Mary Monica (Hudson)
Monagle, James William
Tweet, Mary Monica (Monagle)
Tweet, Edgar
Lillegraven, Rosellen
Lillegraven, Olav
Monagle, MerrittMonagle, Katherine
Monagle, Ann
Monagle—Olsen, Katie
Pretz, Florence
Search Terms:
Ivory
Sculpture
Billiken
Eskimo
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