Huqqa Base
ca. 1830 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This huqqa (water-pipe) base belongs to a class of Indian metalwork known as bidri, which takes its name from the city of Bidar in modern Karnataka where it is thought to have originated. Objects cast from a zinc alloy are then decorated in silver and when finished, briefly covered in a saline mud. When the mud is removed, the surface of the dull grey alloy has been changed to a matt black by means of a chemical process which is still not understood. The silver remains unchanged.
The huqqa base is decorated with the initials, family crest and motto of William Kelso, who served in the Madras Army from 1803 until his retirement in 1833. It was probably made for him towards the end of his service.
The huqqa base is decorated with the initials, family crest and motto of William Kelso, who served in the Madras Army from 1803 until his retirement in 1833. It was probably made for him towards the end of his service.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver and zinc alloy |
| Brief description | Huqqa base, bidri inlaid with silver, Bidar, ca. 1830 |
| Physical description | Bell-shaped body with flaring neck which has a projecting rim dividing it. The decoration, all overlaid in silver, consists of a central panel filled with four oval cartouches. Three of these containing urns, the fourth has the initials WR and the inscription Otium cum dignitate. Thin bands of silver above and below contain scrolling ornamentation of leaves and florets. The sides of the neck have urn decoration; the top of the neck has a band of leaves, all in silver. The flat base, annealed to the open cast huqqa, has the letters CUMD[I?} overlaid at the edge. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | The huqqa bears the initials, crest and motto of William Kelso, who served in the Madras Army from 1803 until his retirement in 1833. According to the India Office Library information on the acquisition file, he was born in 1786, became a Cadet in 1803, Lieutenant in 1804, Captain in 1819, Major in 1825, Lt. Col in 1830, and retired on 9 June 1833. His military records are in the Library. It seems likely that the huqqa base would have been made for him towards the end of his military career. |
| Summary | This huqqa (water-pipe) base belongs to a class of Indian metalwork known as bidri, which takes its name from the city of Bidar in modern Karnataka where it is thought to have originated. Objects cast from a zinc alloy are then decorated in silver and when finished, briefly covered in a saline mud. When the mud is removed, the surface of the dull grey alloy has been changed to a matt black by means of a chemical process which is still not understood. The silver remains unchanged. The huqqa base is decorated with the initials, family crest and motto of William Kelso, who served in the Madras Army from 1803 until his retirement in 1833. It was probably made for him towards the end of his service. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.224-2006 |
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| Record created | October 27, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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