Enameled Element of a Huqqa

mid-19th century
Not on view
This enamel-painted (mina) element belongs to a huqqa, or qalian (the Persian term for huqqa or water pipe), and would have been placed at the very top of a tall qalian. It is elaborately decorated with roundels depicting figures of young men, a young woman, and couples dressed in European-style clothing, typical of those found on nineteenth-century Persian enamels. These figures are enclosed in roundels with Rococo-style gold framing devices. It demonstrates a taste for decorative works adorned with highly Europeanized ornamentation in mid- to late-nineteenth-century Iran.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Enameled Element of a Huqqa
  • Date: mid-19th century
  • Geography: Made in Iran
  • Medium: Gold; enamel-painted and turquoise
  • Dimensions: Overall:
    H. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm)
    W. 3 1/4 in. (8.2 cm)
  • Classification: Metal
  • Object Number: 2026.276.2
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
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