Kohl stick

Although kohl jars were in use long before, the kohl stick only appeared in the Middle Kingdom. Prior to that, eyepaint was applied with fingertips. The so-called applicator, however, made it possible to mix the compound made of black galena easily and safely in kohl jars with narrow necks and wide, thick rims. By this time, the green pigment made of copper-based malachite, which was popular in the Old Kingdom, was used less frequently. The applicator could be made of wood, but also of more precious stones and bronze. This classical-form stick is made of bronze and can be primarily dated to later periods, but it is difficult to determine.

The dark make-up painted around the eyes served both an aesthetic, decorative purpose and a practical, medical function. Mixed with other medicinal substances and giving the eyes some shade, lead-containing galena had an antiseptic effect: it was a means of preventing and alleviating eye diseases caused by hot climate, strong sunlight, and sandstorms. It can be demonstrated that the substance contained synthetic ingredients, so its production required considerable expertise. Kohl jars were personal items for everyday life, but they were often carried on as grave goods for the afterlife, especially during the Eighteenth Dynasty, consequently, the precious material they were made of was also of great importance.