Kohl Pot with Lid on Base
ca. 1400–1292 B.C.E.
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Object Label
Kohl Containers
Eye makeup has been used for millennia.
Ancient Egyptian men and women used a dark substance called kohl as eye makeup for nearly four thousand years, from the Predynastic Period until the Roman occupation in the fourth century c.e. Kohl emphasized the eyes, reduced sun glare, and repelled flies. The common presence of kohl containers in burials indicates that the Egyptians believed these concerns would continue in the afterlife.
Eye makeup has been used for millennia.
Ancient Egyptian men and women used a dark substance called kohl as eye makeup for nearly four thousand years, from the Predynastic Period until the Roman occupation in the fourth century c.e. Kohl emphasized the eyes, reduced sun glare, and repelled flies. The common presence of kohl containers in burials indicates that the Egyptians believed these concerns would continue in the afterlife.
Caption
Kohl Pot with Lid on Base, ca. 1400–1292 B.C.E.. Serpentine, 2 3/16 x 1 3/4 x 1 9/16 in. (5.5 x 4.5 x 3.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.645Ea-b. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
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