Bidri ware, bronze with inlaid silver.

Base for a water pipe, 18th century

Unknown artist, Indiaexpand_more

Zinc alloy; cast, engraved, inlaid with silverexpand_more

The Katherine Kittredge McMillan Memorial Fundexpand_more  82.10.1

Not on Viewexpand_more

Water pipes (hookahs) have been used to smoke tobacco from the 17th century onwards. The hookah user would have smoked from a long tube that extended from the base. An orderly row of "Hyderabad poppies" adorns the globular body, a popular motif that also appears in textiles and paintings.

Details
Title
Base for a water pipe
Role
Artist
Accession Number
82.10.1
Curator Approved

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Bidri ware, bronze with inlaid silver.

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