Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, ca. 7th Century BCE. A pair of faience fired kohl cups of the Late Dynastic Period. The ancient Egyptians believed that cosmetics gave them supernatural power, and so wore makeup regardless of gender or status. The kohl that was stored in containers like these was used as black eyeliner, and was applied with a wooden stick to create that famous almond-shaped Egyptian eye. These fine examples show remains of blue glaze, and one of the cups has traces of black hieroglyphs. Both cups: 2"H.

Provenance: Ex-prominent NYC, NY gallery.

All items in this auction have been legally acquired, are legal to sell, and guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids, papered by our parent company, Artemis Gallery Ancient Art.

The starting price is the lowest price at which the lot can sell.

Cup with clear glyphs shows signs of repair; both cups have surface encrustation and wear, as shown.