The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 27, 2024
Hookah Bowl
1700s
Location: 116 Islamic
Did You Know?
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).Description
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- ?-1969Mrs. R. Henry [Emery May Holden] Norweb [1895-1984], Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art1969-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Carboni, Stefano, and David Whitehouse. Glass of the Sultans. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001. Reproduced: cat. no. 136, pp. 282-283
- Art of the Islamic World (Islamic art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (May 21, 2021-May 31, 2022).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).
- {{cite web|title=Hookah Bowl|url=false|author=|year=1700s|access-date=27 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1969.287