Portrait of Frank Hall's Hooka-burdar

This sheet has been removed from an album. The page on which it was laid down bore an inscription from William Prinsep: 'Seated at the entrance of my door preparing a chillum for his master who dines with me this day - in the act of putting the tobacco into the Chillum - he is seated on a small red settringee or carpet with all his apparatus about him - (... my old smoker)'.

A Hookah burdar was the servant who prepared tobacco for his master. The 'Chillum' is the part of the hooka which contains the tobacco and charcoal balls.

For further information about William Prinsep, see lot 89.