Antique eye liner

A rare find and a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship. This kohl (eye liner) holder is beautifully detailed with minute granulation and fine winding of silver wire. The holder itself is hollow and would have contained kohl powder used for the heavy eye make up of the women of the Horn of Africa. The top would be plugged with a piece of cloth, and the eye liner "pencil" is attached on the large silver ring at the top. The red beads of coral are included purely for ornamentation and even more impact. Sourced in Sudan, it is the only piece of its kind that I have ever come across
Length: 6.7 cm / 2.5 inches
Width: 1 cm / 0.5 inch