Hookah Bowl
Unknown Artist
1700s
Medium
glass
Dimensions
h. 17 cm
Classification
Glass
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Norweb Collection
Accession Number
1969.287
About this artwork
The inscription around the body of the base speaks to the use of the hookah in the decadent life of the Mughal court. The hookah is commended for being a proper, refined servant who will not “respond unless drawn upon” or, produce water bubbles when smoke is drawn through the hose. Undoubtedly the witty, poetic allusions would have been appreciated at banquets and other courtly gatherings. The use of wheel-cut glass for this hookah base may have been influenced by English glass and lead crystal ...