Goggles
— Indigenous Arctic snow goggles
the original sunglasses
snow
inuit
whalebone (baleen)
wood
kelp (seaweed)
birch bark
wood
kelp (seaweed)
birch bark
Ancient drawings of people wearing such goggles gave UFOlogists grounds to speculate about the extraterrestrial origin of the northern peoples. But of course, everything was much simpler — the northern people needed to protect their eyesight and survive.
(4) Fun fact
(3) What materials were used
walrus ivory
tusks / fangs
rawhide
caribou antlers
tusks / fangs
rawhide
caribou antlers
(2) Other names
ilgaak [illgaak]
Inuktitut dialect
nigaugek [nigaugek]
Central Yup'ik language
iyegaatek [iyegaatek]
St. Lawrence Island Yupik language
Inuktitut dialect
nigaugek [nigaugek]
Central Yup'ik language
iyegaatek [iyegaatek]
St. Lawrence Island Yupik language
The first specimens known to science are already 4000 years old, meaning they are contemporaries of the Egyptian pyramids. The oldest existing example was found on Baffin Island in Canada.
(1) The first specimen
To protect their eyes from snow blindness, the Inuit invented a special tool — snow goggles, Inuit Snow Goggles, the historical prototype of modern sunglasses.
Carved from available materials such as wood, bone, or reindeer antler, these goggles were designed with precision to provide optimal protection from the blinding snow.
The history of the ilgaak is a history of how traditions can inspire while preserving their cultural significance.
Carved from available materials such as wood, bone, or reindeer antler, these goggles were designed with precision to provide optimal protection from the blinding snow.
The history of the ilgaak is a history of how traditions can inspire while preserving their cultural significance.
— Inuit Snow Goggles
✦ The total population of the Inuit, according to the 2011 census data, is 59,000
an ethnic group of indigenous peoples of North America, inhabiting approximately 1/3 of the northern territories of Canada from the Labrador Peninsula to the mouth of the Mackenzie River. They are part of the larger group of northern indigenous peoples known as "Eskimos."
The Inuit are one of the three groups of indigenous peoples (alongside Indians and Métis) recognized by the Constitution of Canada as a distinct people with a unique history, language, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs.
The Inuit are one of the three groups of indigenous peoples (alongside Indians and Métis) recognized by the Constitution of Canada as a distinct people with a unique history, language, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs.
Snow goggles were invented by the Inuit
Early in the morning, the bright spring sun began to sparkle blindingly across the snows of the boundless plain of the Arctic Sea, stretching to the west, north, and east from the northern cape of Kotelny Island. Everyone had to put on snow goggles to avoid contracting the painful eye disease that afflicts many in the Far North in spring.
— from the novel "Sannikov Land"
Nunpiaq snow goggles,
made of whalebone and sinew
1890
Baffinland Inuit snow goggles,
made of wood
1920
Inupiaq snow goggles,
made of bone
1880-1900
Inupiaq snow goggles,
made of caribou hooves, seal skin, and sinew
1961
— The crafting process
Each pair of goggles was custom-fitted for a specific person or child. The blank was shaped to the contours of the eyes to ensure a snug fit against the face. One or two narrow horizontal slits were carved from the inside out. Sometimes, to reduce glare from light entering inside, the inner surface of the goggles was additionally coated with soot or gunpowder. This type of eye protection does not fog up or become covered in ice.
The small slits not only reduced reflected light but also helped the wearer see better. In terms of their mechanism of action, the slits in snow goggles resemble a pinhole camera (camera obscura): by passing through a tiny aperture, light is better focused, which sharpens vision. However, the main drawback of Inuit Snow Goggles is the limitation of the wearer’s field of view, which could lead to tripping or failing to notice an approaching danger.
In 1964, French designer André Courrèges created the iconic Eskimo sunglasses. Although without Eskimo, other bold (yet impractical) fashion silhouettes like Shutter Shades might never have appeared, Courrèges's glasses also became one of the factors that fueled a surge in borrowing from the customs and costumes of other peoples. Today, they are considered an example of cultural appropriation.
These goggles in Yakutia were made the symbol of the "White Reindeer Moss" (Bely Yagel) film festival, where the awards presented are silver "Snow Goggles," with the constellation Ursa Major (the Big Dipper) set in zirconia.
Inuit snow goggles as a source of Inspiration in design and culture
— Modern Interpretations of Ilgaak Goggles
Goggles
— Project made BY natamarkina
All materials are taken from public sources and belong to their respective owners
All materials are taken from public sources and belong to their respective owners
snow
inuit
