What is the purpose of the black paint below the cockpit windows? Today I saw the following picture of the B747-400 SuperTanker, which shows a black painted region below the cockpit windows.



I have also seen vintage pictures of other aircraft that also had this black painted region.

What is the purpose of the black paint? Is it for decorative purposes?
It reduces glare (specular reflection).

Football players paint black stripes under their eyes for the same reason.



The legend for the paint scheme is excerpted in the inset, upper right. Item #33 "Antiglare areas shall be painted aircraft black."

If you read this technical manual, which is publicly available, it describes in the body of the text the use of anti-glare paint.