Huqqa Base (Primary Title)

Unknown (Artist)

mid–18th century
Indian
Glass
Tools, Equipment, Utensils
glass with traces of red pigment
India,North India
Overall: 6 3/4 × 5 1/2 in. dia. (17.15 × 13.97 cm)
68.8.137
Known to the British as a “hubble-bubble,” a huqqa is a pipe in which scented, and often intoxicating, substances are smoked through cooling water. It consists of a water-filled base, a detachable bowl for the smoking materials, and a long tube through which the smoke is drawn. All three huqqa bases in this case are made from handblown glass and decorated with wheel-cut patterns. Earlier examples were spherical, resting on separate rings for stability. During the latter half of the 18th century, these two elements merged, and a flat-bottomed bell shape became the norm.
Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Gift of Paul Mellon
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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