IN TH E W I N G S
MUSEUM
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: The Fine Art of Feasting, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, is the first exhibition to present Islamic art in the context of its culinary traditions. It features some 250 works of art, from 30 public and private collections in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, related to the sourcing, preparation, serving, and consumption of food through the lens of fine dining. Gustatory discernment was a fundamental activity at the great Islamic courts; the exhibition stimulates not only the eyes but also the appetite! A companion exhibition for children, Dining With the Sultan at Charles White Elementary School, runs offsite Saturdays, 1 to 4 pm. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.972.8001, laopera.org
At Dining With the Sultan: Enjoying Coffee, top, by unknown 18th-century painter, and a variety of 13th- to 18th-century Islamic artifacts; bottom left, 17th-century dish at related offsite children’s exhibition. Opposite: Damascus Room, 1766–67.
TOP: PERA MUSEUM, ISTANBUL. JAR: MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART, DOHA, QATAR. SPOON: AL-SABAH COLLECTION, DAR AL-ATHAR AL-ISLAMIYYAH, KUWAIT. ALL OTHERS THIS SPREAD: MUSEUM ASSOCIATES/LACMA
A FEAST OF ISLAMIC ART
8 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE
006-011_ITW_PLA_0224.indd 8
1/15/24 8:23 AM
