UNEARTHED Miniature Roman Kohl Vessel
1st–3rd Century CE
Small enough to disappear in the palm, yet heavy with presence. This miniature Roman vessel once held kohl or precious pigment—black powders used to line the eyes, ward off glare, and invoke beauty or protection. Its conical form and narrow neck suggest a ritual of precision: a finger dipped, a gesture traced.
Now crusted with time, its surface is stone-like—etched by burial, burnished by memory.
This is an object not just to display, but to contemplate. A reliquary for the eye.
Likely core-formed or cast glass
Unearthed in the Eastern Mediterranean
5.5×3cm / 2”x1.25”
Each mark on its surface speaks to the centuries. Ancient and fragile, please handle as you would a dream made solid.
1st–3rd Century CE
Small enough to disappear in the palm, yet heavy with presence. This miniature Roman vessel once held kohl or precious pigment—black powders used to line the eyes, ward off glare, and invoke beauty or protection. Its conical form and narrow neck suggest a ritual of precision: a finger dipped, a gesture traced.
Now crusted with time, its surface is stone-like—etched by burial, burnished by memory.
This is an object not just to display, but to contemplate. A reliquary for the eye.
Likely core-formed or cast glass
Unearthed in the Eastern Mediterranean
5.5×3cm / 2”x1.25”
Each mark on its surface speaks to the centuries. Ancient and fragile, please handle as you would a dream made solid.
1st–3rd Century CE
Small enough to disappear in the palm, yet heavy with presence. This miniature Roman vessel once held kohl or precious pigment—black powders used to line the eyes, ward off glare, and invoke beauty or protection. Its conical form and narrow neck suggest a ritual of precision: a finger dipped, a gesture traced.
Now crusted with time, its surface is stone-like—etched by burial, burnished by memory.
This is an object not just to display, but to contemplate. A reliquary for the eye.
Likely core-formed or cast glass
Unearthed in the Eastern Mediterranean
5.5×3cm / 2”x1.25”
Each mark on its surface speaks to the centuries. Ancient and fragile, please handle as you would a dream made solid.