Hookah Base
Unknown Artist
early 1700s
Medium
Glass with colored enamel and gilding
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.178}}
Classification
Glass
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Norweb Collection
Accession Number
1969.286
About this artwork
Smoking tobacco was introduced to the Mughal court from Iran in the very early 1600s and soon became popular. This base formed part of a hookah, or water pipe, which consisted of a base that held water—sometimes perfumed with herbs or fresh fruit—a detachable bowl to hold tobacco, and a long tube. Early hookahs used existing vessels for bases, including coconut shells. By the late 1600s or early 1700s, richly decorated pieces like this were produced. The jewel-like decoration of blue and green b...