The Mikado

Czernobog, Wednesday, and Shadow sat on the bench in front of the Mikado to listen to the music and to talk briefly about Shadow’s bank robbery. This music machine is one of the most popular at The House on the Rock; it was built in the 1970s in our workshop using a European band organ as the starting point. The oriental façade is an over-the-top Alex Jordan creation. The music that it plays includes “Dance Macabre” by Saint-Saens, “Harem Bells” by Korla Pandit, and “Ritual Fire Dance” by de Falla.

Czernobog's Centaur

In American Gods, Czernobog rides an armored centaur with its face hidden by a metal helmet. Alex Jordan was so pleased with this centaur that he ordered several more; there were a few months in 1978 when he wanted to armor everything--even mermaids. If your Greek mythology is a little rusty, you can find an entry about centaurs in Bulfinch's Mythology (dreadful party guests).

The Bulldog

The Bulldog on the Carousel was created for Alex Jordan in his workshops in 1977. It is a very popular carousel figure and was used in the opening of a program in the television series “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” featuring The House on the Rock.

The backstory—it’s actually the portrait of a security guard who had irritated the sculptor.