An ultra-rare piece of pop art fashion history, these oversized round sunglasses were designed by psychedelic art icon Peter Max for the American eyewear company Tura as part of the Astra Spec line in the late 1960's. The transparent acrylic lenses feature Max’s signature cosmic illustrations - in this case, a winged superhero figure soaring across a scatter of multicoloured stars - printed directly onto the surface, transforming eyewear into wearable art. Produced in extremely limited quantities, the Astra collaboration was short-lived and is now considered one of the most collectible examples of 1960's design crossover between art, fashion, and commercial culture. The exaggerated round silhouette captures the spirit of the space-age era, while the slim gold-toned arms stamped Peter Max evoke the artist’s vivid, graphic universe. Museum-worthy in both rarity and cultural significance, these sunglasses exemplify the 1960's fascination with futurism, optimism, and individuality - a true intersection of mod fashion and psychedelic art.
Reference Photos: (1) Newspaper advertisement c1960's (2) Hakes Auctions 2012
Measurements: top of frame: 6″/15cm, lenses: 3″/7.5cm x 3″/7.5cm
Condition: Excellent/Very Good; extremely minor signs of wear