Description:

 A MUGHAL GILT DECORATED GLASS HUQQA BASE, LUCKNOW, 18TH CENTURY, INDIA
Lucknow, Northern India, 18th century

Description:
Blown colorless glass with gilt decoration; the globular huqqa base is of elegant proportions with a short cylindrical neck and a rounded body tapering into a flat base. It is exquisitely adorned with applied gold floral motifs rendered in a scrolling chrysanthemum and carnation design, interspersed with delicately arranged leafy tendrils and bands of stylized rosettes.

The decoration is arranged in horizontal registers that emphasize the spherical symmetry of the vessel. The neck is similarly embellished with a dense floral band, while the base is framed with a delicate ring of gilt vine work. This level of refined decoration is emblematic of the Awadh court taste, where European glassmaking techniques were married with the lavish aesthetics of Mughal luxury objects.

Dimensions: 20.5cm

Comparable examples:

  • A similar gilt glass huqqa base from Lucknow, 18th century, sold at Christie’s, London, Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, 25 May 2017, Lot 158, for £15,000.

  • A closely related Mughal gilt glass huqqa base, Awadh, late 18th century, sold at Bonhams, London, Islamic and Indian Art, 28 October 2020, Lot 133, for £13,812.

  • Another Mughal glass huqqa base with gilt floral decoration, attributed to Lucknow, circa 1775–1800, sold at Sotheby’s, London, Arts of the Islamic World, 20 April 2016, Lot 91, for £16,250.

Note:
Gilt glass huqqa bases such as this were among the most opulent accoutrements of late Mughal courtly life, particularly in the regional courts of Awadh (Lucknow). They exemplify the synthesis of Indian and European material cultures, and their delicate decoration often mimicked

contemporary enamel and bidri wares. These rare and fragile objects were reserved for high-status individuals and were considered symbols of refinement and leisure.

 

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May 6, 2025 1:00 PM BST
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