An elegant and unusually large late 18th century bell-shaped Bidri hookah base. The surface is engraved and inlaid with brass and silver forming intricate foliate motifs on a blackened background.
It is decorated using the type of metal inlay known as Bidri, in which the base metal (a zinc alloy) is darkened through a chemical process to highlight the sheen of the inlaid metal in the floral ornament. This piece exemplifies traditional Bidri metalworking techniques from the period.
