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Commical Tinned Bronze Hookah Base in the Form of a Dolphin
Northern India
18th century
height: 23cm, width: 13cm, weight: 1.029kg
This northern Indian hookah base rather whimsically is in the form of a dolphin. The dolphin
emits the opening for the main hookah pipe from its fleshy lips in such a way that it appears to
have a cheeky smile on its face. Altogether, the casting is quite comical and certainly unusual.
The base stands solidly on a circular foot. Cast in bronze, the base is tinned all over, and the
tin finish is largely intact. (Tinning metal items was quite common in the Islamic world. Tin was
felt to be stable and non-reactive, and so suitable particularly for finishing utensils.)
Smaller Indian hookah bases sometimes are encountered in the form of a mango, but
relatively few have an animal form.
References: A hookah of similar form (ie also in the form of a comical dolphin is in the Nasser
Khalili collection and illustrated in Rogers, J.M., The Arts of Islam: Treasures from the Nasser
D. Khalili Collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2007, p. 238.
Inventory no.: 781
This Item is available - Ask about this item
Commical Tinned Bronze Hookah Base in the Form of a Dolphin
Northern India
18th century
height: 23cm, width: 13cm, weight: 1.029kg
This northern Indian hookah base rather whimsically is in the form of a dolphin. The dolphin
emits the opening for the main hookah pipe from its fleshy lips in such a way that it appears to
have a cheeky smile on its face. Altogether, the casting is quite comical and certainly unusual.
The base stands solidly on a circular foot. Cast in bronze, the base is tinned all over, and the
tin finish is largely intact. (Tinning metal items was quite common in the Islamic world. Tin was
felt to be stable and non-reactive, and so suitable particularly for finishing utensils.)
Smaller Indian hookah bases sometimes are encountered in the form of a mango, but
relatively few have an animal form.
References: A hookah of similar form (ie also in the form of a comical dolphin is in the Nasser
Khalili collection and illustrated in Rogers, J.M., The Arts of Islam: Treasures from the Nasser
D. Khalili Collection, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 2007, p. 238.
Inventory no.: 781
This Item is available - Ask about this item
