The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 17, 2025

Princess smoking a hookah

c. 1760

Northern India, Pahari kingdoms

gum tempera, ink, gold, and beetle-wing carapaces on paper
Page: 32.1 x 25.3 cm (12 5/8 x 9 15/16 in.); Image: 24.1 x 16 cm (9 1/2 x 6 5/16 in.)
Purchase and partial gift from the Catherine and Ralph Benkaim Collection; Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2018.106
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

The artist has used beetle wings for emeralds in the jewelry.

Description

A lady seated at window smokes a hookah. She wears a translucent lilac blouse and gold trousers and adorns herself with jewelry comprising pearls, gold, and emeralds. Reclining against a large bolster, she is engrossed in smoking her hookah made of gold and porcelain. The painting may have been intended to be presented to the king by the artist.
  • ?–2018
    Catherine Glynn Benkaim and Barbara Timmer, Beverly Hills, CA, partial sale and gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2018–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Princess smoking a hookah|url=false|author=|year=c. 1760|access-date=17 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2018.106