What are these glasses called?

July 28, 2007 11:17 PM

What are these type of glasses called?

The image is from "Big Trouble in Little China". Google searches for glasses relating to the movie or "eye slit glasses" return nothing relevant. Any ideas what they're called, or where I can get a pair?

posted by hamhed to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

Still looking for a name, but here is some history on the glasses.

We can credit the Inuit of the Arctic for the world's first sunglasses. Often refered to as snow goggles, they were created from ivory with small slits see through, designed to protect the eyes from snowblindness caused by the bright spring sunlight. This example, an artifact of the Thule people (pre-historic Inuit), was crafted from walrus ivory and dates back to about 1200 AD. It was found at an archaeological site on the south coast of Ganon Island in the eastern high Arctic. It's now in the collection of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which is located in Gatineau, Quebec, on the banks of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Parliament Hill. The museum is within walking distance of downtown Ottawa. It is not on permanent display.
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 11:37 PM on July 28, 2007

I've heard them referred to as Inuit (Eskimo) Sunglasses.
posted by Sticherbeast at 11:38 PM on July 28, 2007

yukłuktaak “snow glasses, snow goggles”
Language: Qawiaraq Iñupiaq

Also called: snow glasses, sun goggles
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 11:38 PM on July 28, 2007

Looks like they might also be known as Iggaak.
posted by B(oYo)BIES at 11:48 PM on July 28, 2007

unreasonable?

I've also heard of them as "snow glasses."
posted by OrangeDrink at 2:14 AM on July 29, 2007

Interesting... I thought they'd be like those pinhole glasses you see in catalogs like ShopHomeTrends that supposedly improve eyesight. Such as.
posted by IndigoRain at 2:16 PM on July 29, 2007