Kohl has been worn traditionally since the Naqada III era (c. 3000 BC) by Egyptians of all social classes, originally as protection against eye ailments but there was also a belief that darkening around the eyes would protect one from the harsh rays of the sun. Galena eye paint (later termed Kohl in Arabic from the Akkadian word for the cosmetic) was widely applied in ancient Egypt. Upper eyelids were painted black and lower ones were coloured green, as depicted in ancient texts that describe the use of both black galena and green malachite.
A similar example in the Louvre Museum in Paris was excavated in Western Iran, from the Sasanian level.