Kalian
1650-1700 (made), 1800-1825 (mounted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A kalian is an oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water. They are also known as a hookah, huqqa, qalian, qalyan, qaliyan, narghile, shisha, and a hubble-bubble.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Fritware painted in underglaze cobalt blue and chromium black, with engraved brass mount |
| Brief description | Kalian (water-pipe base), fritware underglaze-painted in cobalt blue with black outline, Iran, 1650-1700. Brass mount added in Qajar Iran, early 19th century |
| Physical description | Kalian, or hookah base, decorated with pairs of horned deer, leaves and fruit painted in reserve with black outline against blue ground with black hatching. Brass mount added in Qajar Iran, ca.1800-1825. Signed Khwaja Muhammad on the base. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Kar-e Khwaja Muhammad (Painted on the base)
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| Object history | The dish C.1974-1910 has a similar signature under the base. It should read: "Kha Haji Muhammed", "work of Haji Muhammed". (Mr. R.W. Skelton, 12/04/1961) |
| Production | Register |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | A kalian is an oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water. They are also known as a hookah, huqqa, qalian, qalyan, qaliyan, narghile, shisha, and a hubble-bubble. |
| Bibliographic reference | Crowe, Yolande. Persia and China. Safavid blue and white ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum 1501-1738. London: Thames & Hudson, 2002. ISBN 0-9538196-1-2 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 437-1887 |
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| Record created | April 6, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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