Image: Bidriware hookah base 1750-1800

Description: his flat-bottomed hookah base is embellished with inlaid silver sheet and silver wire (tehnishan and tarkashi techniques, respectively). The primary decoration on the vessel sides and in an arcade on the neck is the Mughal dynastic leitmotif of stylized poppy plants (Papaver somniferum), which may suggest that the vessel was commissioned or intended for the Mughal market. The supplementary decoration consists of alternating bands of vegetal and geometric motifs. Chevrons encircle the neck on a ring molding below the larger projecting molding used for grasping or carrying the vessel. There are three bands of crenulation-like foliage, an elegant scrolling poppy vine on the shoulder, and a simplified scroll of stylized flowers and leaves on the base. Flat-bottomed hookah bases presumably made of the zinc-based alloy known as bidri ware, or alternatively perhaps made of brass with a lac ground, are documented in Indian painting by the late 17th century. Prior to their development, hookah bases were generally spherical and needed support rings to keep them upright. By the middle of the 18th century, they had become exceedingly common in painting and extant examples.
Title: Bidriware hookah base 1750-1800
Credit: Own work
Author: Natasha Khaitan
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0
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