Producer unknown to us
Water pipe
Asia/Europe, Turkey
19th century
Ivory, glass, leather, textile, wood, metal;
formed, forged, carved, decorated
Max Putzker (sailor) collected the hookah in the 1890s
Purchased by the museum from Astra Haag in 1957
WAs 1857 a-c
This hookah probably originated in the Ottoman Empire, which stretched from modern-day Turkey and Syria to Egypt and Hungary. In the bowl of the shisha, tobacco is heated with coal. By sucking on the hose, a vacuum is created that directs the smoke through the smoke column directly into the water-filled jar at the bottom. The smoke is then sucked through the water, cooling it enough in the process to be inhaled through the mouthpiece.
In the Ottoman Empire, hookahs were smoked in social gatherings and often in taverns, similar to the numerous shisha bars that exist today. Since the government had no control over the shaping of public opinion in these taverns, they were often banned. To combat addiction, hookah smoking and the sale of tobacco are strictly regulated in Turkey today.
Sailor Max Putzer acquired this hookah in the 1890s. Astra Haag sold it to the museum in 1957.
Kevin Breß