Copyright © Egypt, Cradle of Civilization
Ancient Egyptians were always aware of how appearances matter, where beauty and elegance were the top concern. And in every portrait the focus was always on the meticulously and beautifully outlined eyes that stood out and captured the world. During all periods and dynasties of ancient Egyptians, both men and women, applied eye makeup on a daily prerequisite. It did not only serve as a decorative purpose but it also served medicinal, magical and spiritual practices.
Two eye makeup colors were popular with the ancient Egyptians, the green and the black. Eye makeup was not a luxury reserved for the rich, but even the humblest graves proved to contain some. It was not the existence of makeup that separated rich from poor, but the expense and luxury of the containers and applicators. The eye color was found stored in leather or canvas pouches, small jars, conch shells or within hollow reeds. While the poor used to store it in hollow sticks, the rich used intricately carved and bejeweled containers of ivory or other precious materials.
There were two types of eye color, green
"Udju" and black
"Mesdemet". Udju was made from green
malachite which is the vibrant green ore of copper (copper carbonate hydroxide) and was mined from the
Sinai Desert. These mines came under the spiritual domain of the goddess
Hathor, ancient goddess of beauty, joy, love and women. She bore the epithet
"Lady of Malachite." The malachite stone was crushed and then mixed as the green eye make up. It was especially popular in the
Old Kingdom, and right through the
Middle Kingdom, but towards the
New Kingdom it was replace almost completely by the black color.
Black eye color
Mesdemet, was obtained from
galena, which is the dark blue-grey ore of lead (lead sulphide). It was obtained either near
Aswan in
Upper Egypt or at the
Red Sea Coast. It was also one of the things that was imported back by
Pharaoh Hatshepsut's famed expedition to
Punt and was given to her in tribute by the
Asiatic nomads. One of the earliest uses of
galena was as
Kohl. Kohl is a mixture of soot and
galena. It gained popularity over the green
malachite during the period of the
New Kingdom. A small amount of the eye color was mixed with animal fats or even water to make it easier to paint on the face.
The ancient
Egyptians used eye makeup not only for cosmetic reasons but also for their medical purposes.
Galena possesses disinfectant and fly-deterrent properties. It also protected the eyes from the intense sun.
Mesdmemet was prescribed to help cure a number of eye diseases. On the other hand
Udju was believed to induce or evoke the eye of
Horus, the
god of the Sky & Sun and also the god of healing. So outlining the skin around the eye would protect its user, especially from the
"evil eye". The
Egyptian word for eye-palette was derived from their word for
"protect." Kohl was used by mothers, which they applied to the eyes of infants after they were born, was believed to strengthen the child's eyes and protect him from being cursed by the
"evil eye". This tradition is still practiced to this day, but in the rural parts of
Egypt.
Today
galena can be easily and inexpensively purchased but under the name
Kohl. Outside of
Egypt, it can be purchased from vendors that supply accessories to Eastern dancers. Real
kohl usually comes in a little box containing a stick-like applicator and a compartment for the make up itself, so its appearance and way of application has not changed over the centuries. Today
kohl can also be purchased in the form of a pencil which is a lot easier to apply.
So ancient
Egyptian eye makeup did more than paint a pretty face! Although
Kohl became a popular cosmetic once again during the 1920s, when an
"Egyptian look" came into fashion in the United States and Europe, and it is still used as eyeliner in many Eastern countries.
About the Author:
Gawhara Hanem
