Double Kohl Tube with Applicator
1 of 2
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.
Caption
Double Kohl Tube with Applicator, ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.. Faience (container), bronze (applicator), 4 x 1 9/16 x 11/16 in. (10.2 x 4 x 1.7 cm) Stick: 5 in. (12.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Collection Fund, 11.671a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.11.671a-b_erg456.jpg)
Title
Double Kohl Tube with Applicator
Date
ca. 1539–1292 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Faience (container), bronze (applicator)
Classification
Dimensions
4 x 1 9/16 x 11/16 in. (10.2 x 4 x 1.7 cm) Stick: 5 in. (12.7 cm)
Credit Line
Museum Collection Fund
Accession Number
11.671a-b
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
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Frequent Art Questions
Wow. How did the vase get this rich blue color?
That is made of a really interesting material called faience, considered by Egyptologists as the first high-tech ceramic. The material is made of pure ground quartz, which has a dazzling, white look to it, which is why the ancient Egyptians called it tjehenet (dazzling). The quartz would have several other ingredients added to it; a small part of lime or calcium oxide and soda, all found in the rich desert sands and quarries in their landscape. These ingredients were either added to it before firing in the kiln, so that the beautiful blue would rise to the surface, or it would be put in a vessel of this powder so it would be coated from the outside while fired. Faience is glazed in many different shades of green and blue, which you'll see throughout the galleries.What is this?
This is a "Double Kohl Tube with Applicator" and was used for makeup. Egyptian men and women alike wore dark black kohl, or eyeliner, both for fashion, and to protect their eyes from the sun.How did women like Nefertiti apply their makeup in ancient Egypt? Were there tools they used or just their fingers?
I love that question! They used an applicator stick! You can see a few on display in our galleries. One is in the central Egyptian gallery.Women (and men!) lined their eyes of kohl, which is a black powder made from metal sulfides. This not only was considered beautiful but it also reduced the glare of the sun and repelled flies!
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