bottle

Small cosmetic flasks are among the most common Islamic glass vessels with marvered decoration. They may have held kohl (a powder used to darken the eyelids or eyebrows) or unguents. Here is one of the best examples of its kind. It features white trails that were tooled into a festooned pattern covering the entire surface, then marvered until the trails were flush with the surface. Such vessels are sometimes called "spear" flasks because of their slender, flared profile and small base. Their shape suggests that they were stored horizontally or at a slight angle, or that a support was used to keep them upright. The traditional association of these objects with cosmetics was recently verified by the discovery of a small flask at al-Tur, on the Sinai Peninsula, that still retained some kohl. It was found next to a copper rod that was used to apply the compound to the eyelids.