Even today, more than ninety percent of Egypt’s population is crammed into less than ten percent of its land area. This is the Nile Valley, the thin strip of green which cuts a swathe through the unforgiving desert which hems it in on all sides. This outstandingly fertile area was the key to success for Egypt’s riverine civilisation. Renewed every year with organic material brought along the vast river from the jungles of Central Africa, the banks of the Nile were among the most productive agricultural areas in the entire ancient Mediterranean. The ideal settlement was on the fringes of this cultivable area: not close enough to take away from the valuable farmland, but not so far away that access to the life-giving waters was hindered. This middle ground, however, was both humid and dusty, and hardly the most healthful environment. Insects – many of them vectors of disease – thrived in the humidity, while the winds coming in off the desert brought with them sand and grit which made the air heavy. These tough conditions were especially harsh on the eyes, and ophthalmological complaints were commonplace. Numerous cures were proposed – Egyptian papyri record treatments ranging from honey to animal dung – but the most popular fix was a preventative measure. Kohl, lead or antimony sulphide, was painted around the eyes. It was believed to protect the eyes from a range of maladies. However, since both lead and antimony are poisonous, kohl may well have caused more problems than it fixed.

Worn throughout Egyptian society, by anyone who could afford it, Kohl was considered one of life’s necessities. Accoutrements for the preparation, storage and application of kohl are therefore an important class of Egyptian archaeological remains. In fact, the earliest masterpieces of Egyptian art, the so-called Two Dogs (Ashmolean Museum AN1896-1908 E.3924) and Narmer (Egyptian Museum, Cairo CG 14716) Palettes, are surfaces against which to grind kohl and mix the resulting powder with water. As Egyptian history progressed, the trend moved towards keeping pre-prepared kohl in specially-designed cosmetic vases, with snug-fitting lids to prevent the paste from drying out. Kohl jars came in a bewildering variety of forms, from the mundane to the exceptional. Remarkable figural vases, for example, in the form of hedgehogs (British Museum EA58323) or the deity Bes (Akademisches Kunstmuseum, Bonn 1897), were at the higher end of the market. But even everyday kohl vessels were beautiful objects, produced in striking blue faience (e.g. British Museum EA24391) or, more usually, carved from stone. The most esteemed stone for kohl jars was alabaster. In Egypt, alabaster is an archaeological rather than a geological term, referring to a milky-white to honey yellow dense rock with bands of orange, brown, black, grey and white throughout. This rock – properly called banded travertine – was considered sacred by the Egyptians for its ability to transmit light. When held up against a light-source, polished travertine seems to glow, and was therefore related in Egyptian thought to the journey of the sun-god Ra through the underworld. As a result, it was especially used for sepulchral objects.

This kohl jar almost certainly comes from a tomb, rather than a domestic setting. It follows a standard form for such pots: a slightly flared foot rises to an ovoid body, with a thin neck, and a proportionally large flat rim. The centre of the vessel is drilled out, but not to the full width. Instead, a small well is drilled out, probably so that the thickness of the stone could protect the kohl from variable temperatures outside. Nonetheless, light still shines through the vessel, which is beautifully striated. A flat round lid, with a small protrusion which fits into the well. Squat in profile, this jar could come from one of two periods: the first is the Middle Kingdom, especially Eleventh and Twelfth Dynasty, while the second is the Eighteenth Dynasty in the New Kingdom. On balance, given comparison with the profiles of vessels in the Art Institute of Chicago (1894.429). the World Museum in Liverpool (LL5144) and the Petrie Museum (UC.6729), it is more likely that this vessel originates in the earlier period.

References: kohl jars of this type are known from collections in London (British Museum EA2624, EA29337; Petrie Museum of Egyptology UC6729, UC2385, UC64752), Oxford (Ashmolean Museum AN1890.813), Liverpool (World Museum LL5144), New York (Metropolitan Museum of Art 16.10.431, 16.10.373), Chicago (Art Instituteof Chicago 1894.429), Boston (Museum of Fine Arts 01.7301).