MUGHAL INDIA, 18TH CENTURY

The production of glass huqqa bases in India began in the late 17th century, coinciding with the introduction of tobacco into the Mughal empire and the rise in popularity of smoking through huqqas. As tobacco use spread across the empire, the craft flourished, leaving a distinctive legacy of artistic glasswork. Known centres for Mughal glass production included Lucknow, Gujarat, Bihar, Rajasthan, and Sind (Hyderabad). However, it is often difficult to attribute a specific workshop to most known huqqa bases (Stefano Carboni, Glass from Islamic Lands, The Al Sabah Collection, Kuwait National Museum, Thames & Hudson, London, 2001, p. 381).

This exquisite huqqa base features beautiful gilt relief decoration, similar to a piece at the Victoria & Albert Museum (inv.no.IS.90-1948). Other examples include those in the British Museum (inv.no.1961,1016.1) and one with gilt poppy flowers at the Cleveland Museum of Art (inv.no.1961.44). Another notable example of a Mughal glass huqqa base sold at Bonhams London, 15 April 2010, lot 432. For the most recent publication on Mughal glass refer to Tara Desjardins, Mughal Glass: A History of Glassmaking in India, Roli Books, New Delhi, 2024.