Kalian thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Kalian

1650-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This ceramic vessel is a ‘kalian’ or base for a water-pipe used in the newly introduced practice of smoking tobacco. It held the water through which the smoke was drawn in order to cool it using a long flexible tube connected to a container through two holes. 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 green and red slip and underglaze blue
Brief description
Kalian (water-pipe base), fritware, with interlocking pattern of flower sprays and scrolling leaves, underglaze-painted in red slip and cobalt blue; Iran, 1650-1700
Physical description
Kalian, or hookah base, decorated around the body with interlocking pattern of carnation sprays in green and red slip contrasting with blue scrolling leaves, and sketchy blue Chinese-style cloud motifs around the neck and base
Dimensions
  • Height: 30.4cm
  • Diameter: 18cm
Style
Production
"Kirman Polychrome"
Summary
This ceramic vessel is a ‘kalian’ or base for a water-pipe used in the newly introduced practice of smoking tobacco. It held the water through which the smoke was drawn in order to cool it using a long flexible tube connected to a container through two holes. They are also known as a hookah, huqqa, qalian, qalyan, qaliyan, narghile, shisha, and a hubble-bubble.
Collection
Accession number
2504-1876

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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