The history of sunglasses, before it was considered a cool fashion accessory


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A Pre-Modern History of Sunglasses: 12th Century, CHina. Flat pieces of smoky quartz were used to protect the wearers' eyes from glare in China around the 12th century. Though they did not protect the wearer from harsh sunlight or UV rays, these early shades were said to have been worn by judges to conceal their emotions while questioning.


Treasure of the Week Antique Chinese Sunglasses ยซ The Pankou

In ancient Chinese society, sunglasses were used primarily for practical purposes. They allowed wearers to conceal their eyes, adding an element of mystique and anonymity. These eyepieces became popular among judges and court officials, who found them invaluable in concealing their expressions during court proceedings. The sunglasses, with.


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Documents describe the use of such crystal sunglasses by judges in ancient Chinese courts to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses. [9] [10]


Oversized Round Sunglasses Brand Traditional Chinese Print Cat Ear Sun Glasses For Women Mirror

Join us as we explore the fascinating history of sunglasses and discover why people wear them. From their origins in ancient China as a tool for judges to hi.


Chinese smokey quartz sunglasses, 12th century. phoneus if I was chilling in the 12th century

In China, sunglasses were commonly used in the 12th century or possible earlier. These sunglasses were mainly made out of lenses that were flat panes of smoky quartz. These sunglasses offered no corrective powers nor they protect from UV rays but did protect the eyes from glare.


c1810 Chinese Sunglasses with Smoky Quartz Lenses eBay

Blown Glass Lenses and Handcrafted Frames The Romans were the first people on record to have created eyeglasses. Roman civilization discovered at some point in history that they could use certain types of glass to magnify objects.


Treasure of the Week Antique Chinese Sunglasses ยซ The Pankou

The origins of the earliest Chinese ancient glasses are discussed from the archaeological and historical points of view. These four types of Chinese ancient glasses were all made in Chinese territory using local raw materials. The glass preparation technology was related to the Chinese ancient bronze metallurgy and proto-porcelain glaze technology.


Treasure of the Week Antique Chinese Sunglasses ยซ The Pankou

The initial purpose of these sunglasses wasn't to protect from the sun, but to hide the user's expressions in a court of law. Quite a shady business, isn't it? The 'Smoke' in Smoky Quartz ๐Ÿž๏ธ๐Ÿ’Ž. The ancient Chinese sunglasses were made from panels of smoky quartz, a semi-precious stone that helped reduce the glare of the sun.


The first sunglasses date back to the prehistoric Inuits who wore flattened walrus ivory specs

These crystal sunglasses were used by judges in ancient Chinese courts to conceal their facial expressions while questioning witnesses. Evolution of sunglasses Sometime later in history, they were used to protect the eyes while horse riding in the snow against the glare coming from the snow. In the 18th century, tainted mirror-like framed.


Antique Chinese sunglasses, beautiful carved wooded case w/ inlays probably taken from something

Chinese Smoky Quartz Chinese quartz tinted spectacles Dating back about 900 hundred years, Chinese people were known to use flat pieces of smoky quartz as vision aids. Known as Ai Tai, meaning 'dark clouds covering the Sun', these types of lenses were incorporated into spectacle frames around the 15th century.


Treasure of the Week Antique Chinese Sunglasses ยซ The Pankou

The sunglasses created in China centuries ago, however, were used for a sneaky purpose by lawmakers. Brilliant early uses of sunglasses Dina Photo Stories/Shutterstock Like many essential objects that we often take for granted today, sunglasses have a long and intriguing history.


Treasure of the Week Antique Chinese Sunglasses ยซ The Pankou

The next major group to experiment with sunglasses were the ancient Chinese. However, they used them for a very different reason. These "sunglasses" were used by judges who were supposed to remain stoic and impartial, and therefore wanted a way to hide their eyes and their emotions.


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Ancient Chinese and Romans are responsible for the inception of sunglasses. Roman emperor Nero wore them while watching gladiator fights, while ancient Chinese judges wore them to hide their facial expressions while in court.. history began to see sunglasses worn by actors and actresses in Hollywood, catalyzing the mass production of.


The oldest known sunglasses, from 12th century China r/pics

In China, sunglasses were used in the 12th century or possible earlier. These sunglasses were made out of lenses that were flat panes of smoky quartz. They offered no corrective powers nor they protect from harmful UV rays but did protect the eyes from glare.


A PAIR OF ANTIQUE CHINESE BRASS GLAZED SUNGLASSES WITH FOLDING ARMS, CIRCA 1750

Another form of sunglasses made out of lenses that were flat panes of smoky quartz appeared in ancient China during the early 12th century. In addition to protecting eyes from glare, documents describe judges in Chinese courts wearing these crystal sunglasses to hide their facial expressions when they interrogated witnesses.


Treasure of the Week Antique Chinese Sunglasses ยซ The Pankou

While spectacles utilizing prisms and such were already in practice to correct eye sight, it was around the 18th century that the first indications of using tint and color for these purposes arose. A man called James Ayscough attempted to correct certain impairments through the use of blue or green colored glass.

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