Bidspirit auction | Two Antique Hookah Bases

Two Antique Hookah Bases - Two Antique Hookah Bases Northern India, probably Late Mughal period (from approx. 1550/1600). Bronze/brass. H. 17 cm and 18 cm. Provenance: Private collection from Northern Germany. A valuation report from Sotheby's is available. Condition: Signs of age and wear; one of the bases shows a small bump. The two hookahs are very rare collector's items. Most hookahs from this period were melted down. Early metal vessels, interpreted as proto-hookahs, appear in Northern India and Persia. The Hookah was a status symbol in India; early models were used by Mughal nobles, Rajput rulers, or wealthy merchants.