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1800-1900's Inuit or Yupik Bone Snow Goggles

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:200.00 USD Estimated At:1,000.00 - 2,000.00 USD
1800-1900's Inuit or Yupik Bone Snow Goggles
Featured in this lot is this Alaskan Eskimo Inuit or Yupik snow caribou scapula bone goggles, circa late 1800 to early 1900's. The goggles are constructed from Caribou scapula and show decorative carvings around the eye slits and around the border of the goggles. These goggles have horizontal slits that are quite narrow, so that only light will filter through the slits. The slits are this narrow in order to improve the wearer's visual acuity by reducing the glare, a piece of technology traditionally used by people of the Arctic to protect from snow blindness. This example is of an interesting form, as most are narrow and rectangular; this one has more of a butterfly-shaped form that would have wrapped around the nose and covered the upper cheeks. The condition of the bone snow goggles is good, considering the age. The measurements of this pair of snow goggles are 4 5/8" x 6 5/8" x 1/2".