An ancient Egyptian gray marble kohl vessel with splayed lip, round body and disk foot.
New Kingdom.
Ca. 1570 - 1070 BC.
Height: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm).
Black galena (lead sulfide) based kohl (Egyptian: mesmedet) was not only used for beauty but also for religious, symbolic, and practical reasons as it worked as a natural disinfectant and protected the eyes from the bright sunlight.
Formerly in the Jean-Marie Talleux collection, Grand Fort Philippe, France; Drouot-Richelieu auction, Paris, December 5-6, 1995, lot 228; subsequently in the collection of Jerome Eisenberg, New York.