Huqqa Mat

Smoking a huqqa, or water pipe, was an integral part of court culture in India during the Mughal, Deccan and British periods. This custom required an array of accoutrements, including a hose, mouthpiece, and a mat, such as this one. Contemporary paintings from the 18th–19th century illustrate how the huqqa base was placed upon the round, or in this case, octagonal part of the mat as the hose rested along the rectangular extension, leading the smoker who was likely reclining on a masnad, or upholstered throne

Smoking a huqqa, or water pipe, was an integral part of court culture in India at the Mughal and Deccan courts and during British rule. This custom required an array of accoutrements, including a hose, mouthpiece, and a mat, such as this one. Contemporary paintings from the 18th–19th century illustrate how the huqqa base was placed upon the round— or in this case octagonal—part of the mat as the hose rested along the rectangular extension, allowing the smoker to recline on a masnad, or upholstered throne.