Description:

A huqqah is a pipe used for smoking, with a water container (called a huqqah base) and a long flexible pipe. The Arabic inscription underneath this huqqah base reads ‘from (?) the death of the Prophet year 1172’ (wafaat rasuul dm 1172 sanah). This could mean the year 1758-9, 1804 or 1768-9 depending on how one interprets it. It may have been made for a Chinese Muslim, perhaps one of the Uyghur minority from Turkestan whom the Qianlong emperor integrated into the imperial hierarchy. Uyghur people use the Arabic alphabet to write their language. Qianlong had a Uyghur Muslim concubine, Rong Fei (or Xiang Fei) who lived in his palace from 1760-1788.

Glass
Height: 15.0 cm, diameter: 15.0 cm, neck diameter: 6.4 cm
Inscription in Arabic on base wafaat rasuul dm 1172 sanah (From (?) the death of the Prophet year 1172)

Chinese Description:

回族水烟座 中国，清乾隆朝 (1736-1795)，约1768、69 (?) 这水烟座的底部刻有阿拉伯文，意谓自先知之死1172年，可推测为1758-59、1804或1768-69。乾隆曾将来自土尔其斯坦的维吾尔族纳入清朝所管辖，这器皿或为当地中国回教徒所用 玻璃

Creator: Unknown

Date: Qianlong reign period (1736-1795)

Copyright: Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives

Object ID:N4788