snow goggles

snow goggles, late 1800s–1959

Where object was made: Point Hope, District of Alaska or Alaska Territory (present-day Alaska), United States

Material/technique: carving; wood

Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 3 x 9.5 x 2.5 cm
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 1 3/16 x 3 3/4 x 1 0.984252 in

Credit line: Gift of Axel Towksjhea

Accession number: 2007.0600

Not on display

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Exhibition Label:
"Climate Change at the Poles," Jan-2009, Kate Meyer, Jennifer Talbott, and Angela Watts
Well-adapted clothing is essential for success when hunting out on the ice or water, and every item of Inuit clothing is designed to fulfill a specific purpose. These mittens have thumbs on both sides of the hands, so when they are slippery or starting to wear thin, they can be flipped over and worn on the other hand, vastly increasing their durability. The snow goggles are a precursor to modern sunglasses, and are often made from bone, antler, or in this case,
wood. The goggles would have a small hole or slit for the wearer to see through but would block out enough light to prevent snow blindness, a condition similar to a sunburn of the cornea that causes pain and even permanent vision loss.