Kruiken en een waterpijp uit India tentoongesteld op de Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations van 1851 in Londen 1851

Hugh Owen’s photograph captures Indian jars and a water pipe, displayed at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851. The hookah, a symbol of social rituals, invites us to consider its deeper connotations. The elongated neck of the water pipe echoes the serpent motif, a powerful symbol seen across cultures from ancient Mesopotamia to the Americas. The serpent, often associated with healing and transformation, appears as the Rod of Asclepius in Greek mythology, and even in modern medicine. Consider how the serpent’s ability to shed its skin is symbolic of rebirth and renewal. The presence of this enduring symbol in something as commonplace as a smoking device subtly connects us to profound and ancient themes. Just as the serpent transcends time, so too do our subconscious desires for healing, knowledge, and transformation. The hookah becomes more than just an object; it is a vessel carrying centuries of symbolic weight, engaging our minds and emotions with its silent, yet potent presence.