Object Record
Metadata
Accession Number |
2003.36.00 |
Catalog Number |
2003.36.05c |
Object Name |
Pencil, Cosmetic |
Collection |
Marie and Ollie Abdalla |
Description |
Carved plastic kohl applicator accompanies 2003.36.05a and b. A little over 3.5 inches in length, this small plastic wand consists of five layers of plastic molded together and then carved into a decorative symmetrical design. The layers of plastic are yellow, white, black, white, and yellow. Kohl, a black charcoal powder, is still used by some in the Arab World, and sometimes by Arab American women, as eyeliner. The kohl itself was brought by Sarah Abdalla, the donors' mother, from Syria to the United States in 1923. The container (2003.36.05b) is not original, but rather was used by Sara to store the kohl at a later date. The applicator is not original as well, as indicated by the letters U.S.A. are stamped into the plastic near where the wand narrows, and the material used. This may have been originally intended for another purpose, perhaps a toothpick. |
People |
Abdalla, Dib Abdalla, Sara |
Subjects |
Cosmetics & soap |
Lexicon category |
3: Personal Artifacts |