The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 1, 2024

Hookah Base

Hookah Base

c. 1750
gold on blue glass
Overall: 19.8 cm (7 13/16 in.)
Cornelia Blakemore Warner Fund 1961.44
Location: 116 Islamic

Did You Know?

The neckpiece was made separately and attached to the blown glass bowl.

Description

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 striking gold poppies on a cobalt blue background might indicate that opium was used in the hookah.
  • ?-1961
    (Khalil Rabenou [1902-1961], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1961-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Welch, Stuart Cary. The Art of Mughal India: Painting & Precious Objects. New York: Distributed by H.N. Abrams, 1963. Mentioned: p. 174, no. 80
    Dikshit, Moreshwar Gangadhar. History of Indian Glass. [Bombay]: University of Bombay, 1969. Reproduced: pl. IIA
    Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 312 archive.org
    Carboni, Stefano, and David Whitehouse. Glass of the Sultans. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 138, pp. 284-285
    Carboni, Stefano, and David Whitehouse. Glass of the Sultans. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001. Reproduced: cat. no. 138, pp. 284-285 libmma.contentdm.oclc.org
    Du Pasquier, Jacqueline. Histoire du verre: les chefs-d'oeuvre de l'Islam. Paris: Massin, 2007. p. 124
  • Art of the Islamic World (Islamic art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (May 21, 2021-May 31, 2022).
    Paintings of Bikaner – Indian Gallery 242 Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (November 7, 2019-April 5, 2020).
    Art and Stories from Mughal India. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (July 31-October 23, 2016).
    Glass of the Sultans. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY (May 24-September 3, 2001); The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY (organizer) (October 2, 2001-January 13, 2002); Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece (February 20-May 15, 2002).
    Art of Mughal India. The Asia Society Museum, New York, NY (organizer) (January 15, 1964-March 25, 1963).
    Year in Review (1961). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 1-26, 1961).
  • {{cite web|title=Hookah Base|url=false|author=|year=c. 1750|access-date=01 September 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1961.44