Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting

Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting

The act of coming together to partake of a meal is a practice shared by all cultures. Food defines us—we are what we eat. Dining with the Sultan is the first exhibition to present Islamic art in the context of its associated culinary traditions. It will include some 250 works of art related to the sourcing, preparation, serving, and consumption of food, from 30 public and private collections in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East—objects of undisputed quality and appeal, viewed through the universal lens of fine dining. The exhibition will stimulate not only the eyes but also the appetite, reminding visitors of the communal pleasure of food—both its taste and its presentation. It will provide much-needed information on the enormous class of luxury objects that may be broadly defined as tableware and demonstrate how gustatory discernment was a fundamental activity at the great Islamic courts.

The act of coming together to partake of a meal is a practice shared by all cultures. Food defines us—we are what we eat. Dining with the Sultan is the first exhibition to present Islamic art in the context of its associated culinary traditions. It will include some 250 works of art related to the sourcing, preparation, serving, and consumption of food, from 30 public and private collections in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East—objects of undisputed quality and appeal, viewed through the universal lens of fine dining. The exhibition will stimulate not only the eyes but also the appetite, reminding visitors of the communal pleasure of food—both its taste and its presentation. It will provide much-needed information on the enormous class of luxury objects that may be broadly defined as tableware and demonstrate how gustatory discernment was a fundamental activity at the great Islamic courts.

This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

This exhibition has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.


 

Generous support provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Farhang Foundation, and Songul Afacan Yaprak and Tolga Yaprak in loving memory of Mazhar Afacan.

All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by The David & Meredith Kaplan Foundation, with generous annual funding from Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Mary and Daniel James, Justin Lubliner, Alfred E. Mann Charities, Kelsey Lee Offield, Koni and Geoff Rich, Lenore and Richard Wayne, and Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Manuscript, Niʻmatnāmah-i Nāṣirshāhī (Book of Delights), India, late 15th century, The Oriental and India Office Collections of the British Library, London, IO Islamic 149 OR BL. Persian 149, fol.115 b, fol. 40 b, fol. 25 b, fol. 79 b, photo © British Library Images

• Dec 17, 2023–Aug 4, 2024
• Resnick Pavilion
• Today's hours: 11 am–6 pm

This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

This exhibition has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.


 

Generous support provided by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Farhang Foundation, and Songul Afacan Yaprak and Tolga Yaprak in loving memory of Mazhar Afacan.

All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by The David & Meredith Kaplan Foundation, with generous annual funding from Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Mary and Daniel James, Justin Lubliner, Alfred E. Mann Charities, Kelsey Lee Offield, Koni and Geoff Rich, Lenore and Richard Wayne, and Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Manuscript, Niʻmatnāmah-i Nāṣirshāhī (Book of Delights), India, late 15th century, The Oriental and India Office Collections of the British Library, London, IO Islamic 149 OR BL. Persian 149, fol.115 b, fol. 40 b, fol. 25 b, fol. 79 b, photo © British Library Images

Related Events

Media

For recipes featured in the exhibition click here and here. If you choose to make your own version of these recipes, make sure and tag @lacma in your post so we can reshare!