Some single-folio paintings from seventeenth-century Iran depict stylish urbanites smoking water pipes (kalians) in leisurely outdoor settings of parks or meadows, an activity enjoyed by men and women alike. The design of this work, from its hand-held proportions to stylized natural motifs, may have been made with such settings of consumption in mind. The top opening once held a tube leading to a covered bowl for tobacco, whereas the shoulder opening would have connected with a thin pipe from which smokers could draw a puff. By inhaling through the pipe, the user would draw the smoke from the bowl into the water held in this ceramic base, which cooled it for consumption. The molded design to this base of a water pipe forms a rounded arch with flattened faces and a raised band along its sides. Both side faces depict a curved tree with greenery at its base within an arched frame. The green glaze collects in crevices of the image in relief, offering further depth and dimension to the tree motif.

Tobacco originally entered Iran thanks to Dutch and Portuguese merchants and sailors near the beginning of the seventeenth century. Following tobacco’s local domestication, water pipes soon followed. Yet far from cheap contraptions made of coconut shells (presumably the earliest material used in their construction), water pipes in early seventeenth-century depictions indicate that artisans were already constructing ornate and intricate devices by this early period of tobacco consumption. Water pipes could come in the form of metalwork, assorted ceramic glazes, and, later on, enamel. Such a variety of offerings suggests a vibrant market with a broad consumer base.

At barely more than 10 cm high, the size and shape of this water-pipe base facilitated hand-held use, though a user could also rest it on the ground, if preferred. Its form may have derived from a European prototype for silver flasks and tea-caddies. The form was later adapted in Chinese porcelain and Safavid ceramics, the latter of which hosted a range of designs on its flattened faces. However, the particular pairing of this work’s molded ornament of garden imagery and distinctive green glaze is more often found on Safavid flasks of the same shape. The color of the glaze evokes the shade of Chinese celadon ware that Iranian consumers readily admired and sought as imports. The motif of the budding or blossoming tree on its side is also found on other Safavid media of the period, including painting and textiles.