A silver object with blue decoration. A tall, straw-like piece attaches to the square bottom and rises upward, curving left. A red string and chain attach to other silver parts.
Previous image 1 2 3 4 / 4 Next image

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Water Pipe
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Chinese

Culture

Chinese

Title

Water Pipe

Year

1800s

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

enamel, silver

Geography

Origin: China

Dimensions

Height: 26 cm (10 1/4 inches) of box (?)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Martha B. Lisle

Object Number

67.423ad

Type

Exhibition History

Trading Earth
Ceramics, Commodities, and Commerce
Apr 09, 2022 – Aug 03, 2025

Label copy

Used to smoke tobacco or opium, water pipes and hookahs cool the smoke without diluting its strength or flavor, thus providing a smoother inhalation.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Chinese
Water Pipe, 1800s
Silver with enamels
Height: 26 cm (10 1/4 inches) of box (?)
Bequest of Martha B. Lisle 67.423ad

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.