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Kohl Pot with Lid on Base

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Egyptian Orientation Gallery, 3rd Floor
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.
MEDIUM Serpentine
  • Place Made: Egypt
  • DATES ca. 1400-1292 B.C.E.
    DYNASTY second half of Dynasty 18
    PERIOD New Kingdom
    DIMENSIONS 2 3/16 x 1 3/4 x 1 9/16 in. (5.5 x 4.5 x 3.9 cm)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 37.645Ea-b
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Black serpentine kohl pot and lid. Body: Small chips in rim; larger chips in stand. Condition: Lid: once broken in two, now mended. Body: Small chips in rim; larger chips in stand.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Egyptian Orientation Gallery, 3rd Floor
    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. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.37.645Ea-b_erg456.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, CUR.37.645Ea-b_erg456.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 9/6/2007
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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