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The Artistry and Design of the Hookah

As a tool for the enjoyment of tobacco, the hookah is in a class by itself. Although you all know I relish and find beautiful artistry in the basic briar pipe such as is seen in the upper right hand corner of my blog, the hookah takes that beauty to another level.

A hookah simply put is a "water pipe". For many of you that may conjure up images of devices used to ingest illicit substances, but while the water pipe for tobacco may be similar in mechanics, the execution, design, and symbolism of the Turkish Water Pipe is more akin to artistry and homage towards creating a tool for mental and emotional nourishment. The image here shows an example of a hookah that is similar (albeit a bit smaller) than the hookah I indulged in at the cafe. My hookah was roughly 45 inches tall and had an ornate metal shield over the bowl to cover the tobacco and the coals so as to not disrupt the beauty of the image.

The mouthpiece in the hookah I used was also a bit more ornate, with a longer distance between the grip (where you hold the nozzle) and the end of the mouthpiece you draw the rich smoke from. Additionally, the end of the nozzle, although similar in appearance to the one pictured had a distinct curve to it as is seen on many full-bent briar pipes such as this one. The length of the handle/nozzle and the curve towards the end of the mouthpiece helped to encourage a very comfortable, relaxing, contemplative stance while smoking the hookah. Basically you can hold the grip in your hand while it is resting on the arm of a chair (or on your leg depending on what type of seating you are in). The added length to the mouthpiece means that when in this resting position, the mouthpiece will reach comfortably to your mouth so that you may smoke very methodically, quietly, and purposefully without having to focus on holding the mouthpiece up to your face.

The gentle gurgle of the hookah as you smoked was a very calming, pleasant sound, reminding me a bit of the peace and tranquility of the bubbles you hear in an aquarium.

After purchasing your flavored tobacco (the first evening I selected apple infused tobacco as it was considered the most popular), you find a seat in the establishment and the fellow behind the counter goes about his magic in preparing your hookah for you. It takes perhaps five minutes. He then carries out the massive hookah beast with gentle reverence and places it before you on a small stand. He then will hand you the nozzle and wish you a pleasant time before he quietly leaves. On this first experience, I was not knowledgeable about the proceedures used to fully enjoy the hookah and started to simply puff on the mouthpiece. Very little smoke eminated from the device, fortunately I was seated at a small table that was next to another table with a fine gentleman who taught me the ins-and-outs of the pleasures of the hookah and he will be the subject of the next essay.

But in summary, the beauty of the hookah makes it a true piece of artistry worthy of places of honor in homes and worthy of display in museums.

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