The Vintage Reader

Isn't cable television fascinating? This morning I was watching Waterloo Bridge on TCM, and noticed that Vivien Leigh's "good luck charm" was a familiar-looking little pointy-eared, pointy-headed Kewpie-like figure. I knew that I knew what he was called, but couldn't quite remember at first. Finally the name came to me: he was a Billiken (although the only reason I know that is that I lived in St. Louis for a while). I followed some links from the Wikipedia article and found a comprehensive history of the Billiken, and realized that the item I found in my grandfather's things and have always thought was a pipe-holder with a Buddha figure on it is probably actually a Billiken incense burner.

The things you learn from watching cable TV at ungodly hours of the morning.