A Gentleman’s Leisure Art Print
This 1799 colored etching by François Balthazar Solvyns captures a moment of quiet indulgence—a man reclining on a cushioned balcony, drawing smoke from a traditional narial (coconut) hookah. The setting, with its airy veranda and draped canopy, suggests a place of relaxation, possibly in a nobleman’s home or a merchant’s residence in Calcutta.
The narial hookah was a distinctive Indian smoking apparatus, with a base often crafted from a hollowed-out coconut shell, topped with a metal bowl, and connected to an elegantly curved stem. Used for centuries across the subcontinent, the hookah was a social and meditative pastime, enjoyed by men of various ranks.
These prints are printed on a fine quality ivory paper.
These are reproductions of old illustrations & in most cases will have the same imperfections as the original.
Original: $8.33
-70%$8.33
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Description
This 1799 colored etching by François Balthazar Solvyns captures a moment of quiet indulgence—a man reclining on a cushioned balcony, drawing smoke from a traditional narial (coconut) hookah. The setting, with its airy veranda and draped canopy, suggests a place of relaxation, possibly in a nobleman’s home or a merchant’s residence in Calcutta.
The narial hookah was a distinctive Indian smoking apparatus, with a base often crafted from a hollowed-out coconut shell, topped with a metal bowl, and connected to an elegantly curved stem. Used for centuries across the subcontinent, the hookah was a social and meditative pastime, enjoyed by men of various ranks.
These prints are printed on a fine quality ivory paper.
These are reproductions of old illustrations & in most cases will have the same imperfections as the original.
