1700s
Glass
Overall: 17 cm (6 11/16 in.)
The Norweb Collection 1969.287
Art of the Islamic World (Islamic art rotation)
Around the top of this hookah bowl are incised the opening two lines from the Khamsa (Quintet) of the celebrated Persian poet Nizami (1141–1209).
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 that was exported to India
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