Description:

Native American, Pacific Northwest/Arctic, either Inuit or Yupik, ca. early 20th century CE. Carved from a caribou bone scapula to fit the wearer's face, 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 while this one has more of a butterfly-shaped form that would have wrapped around the nose and covered he upper cheeks. This example also has incised decorations around the eyelids and the edges, as well as short notches around the upper edge. Size: 5.5" W x 2.9" H (14 cm x 7.4 cm); 4.6" H (11.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Newport Beach, California, USA collection

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#148557

  • Condition: Hairline fracture along one edge. Light encrustations on surface. Excellent preservation of form.

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September 5, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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