Kalian
1680-1720 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ceramic vessel is the base of water-pipe for smoking tobacco, known as a "kalian". The fashion for smoking tobacco in Iran became fashionable in the 17th century. This base contained water and was fitted with two long metal pipes, one to a cup holding burning tobacco and the other a mouthpiece; the smoke from the tobacco was drawn through the water to cool it. These are also known as hookah, huqqa, qalian, qalyan qaliyan, narghile, shisha and hubble-bubble.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Fritware painted in underglaze blue |
| Brief description | Kalian (water-pipe base) in the form of a seated monkey, fritware, painted in underglaze blue and black; Iran, 1680-1720. |
| Physical description | Hookah base (Kalian) of fritware, painted with flowers in blue under a clear glaze, the upper part fashioned to represent the face of a monkey. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production | Register |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This ceramic vessel is the base of water-pipe for smoking tobacco, known as a "kalian". The fashion for smoking tobacco in Iran became fashionable in the 17th century. This base contained water and was fitted with two long metal pipes, one to a cup holding burning tobacco and the other a mouthpiece; the smoke from the tobacco was drawn through the water to cool it. These are also known as hookah, huqqa, qalian, qalyan qaliyan, narghile, shisha and hubble-bubble. |
| Bibliographic reference | Crowe, Yolande, Persia and China: Safavid Blue and White Ceramics in the Victoria & Albert Museum (1501-1738) (London : Thames and Hudson, 2002): cat. no. 503, p.275. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 644-1889 |
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| Record created | April 8, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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