A pince-nez is a style of eyeglasses. It appeared two centuries earlier than the glasses supported by temples and remained popular until the Great Patriotic War. A pince-nez could be worn by both men and women and symbolized intelligence and education. It was also popular among the imperial family. The trend was first introduced by Grand Duke Konstantin, the younger brother of Emperor Alexander II. In Europe, pince-nez were also made with dark lenses.

A pince-nez consisted of two oval lenses connected by a metal bridge. It did not have temples and was held on the bridge of the nose using special fasteners. To avoid scarring the skin, the fasteners were equipped with leather or soft pads. The name of such glasses originated from the French phrase meaning “to pinch the nose”.

The convenience of a pince-nez depended on the elasticity of the spring connecting the two lenses. When it wore out, the pince-nez did not always stay on the nose. That is why craftsmen started making rivet spectacles where the load was taken off the spring and the glasses served longer. On one side of the frame, there was often a ring for a chain or a lace to hold the pince-nez and prevent it from falling down on the floor if it accidentally came off the nose.

Since a pince-nez was a fragile object, it was kept in a special case. The Russian word “futlyar” meaning “a case” originated from the German “Futteral” which means “a container for valuable objects”. Cases are made of leather, metal, plastic, or textile. Inside, they are usually lined with a soft material such as suede, velour, silk, or leather. Inside, there can be a support structure for fixing the pince-nez.