[Sca-cooks] Re: Sugarwork/A&S entries

[Elise Fleming]

Margali wrote:
>What would the reception be for a sugarplate reproduction of an
arab tile be
>in the East? I keep seeing these wonderful tiles and thinking that
they
>would be spectacular done in sugarpaste, or this little tiny
chinese cup of
>paper thin porcelain that would be impressive reproduced in sugar
paste...

What do you mean by "reception"?  As an A&S entry?  (I'm guessing so
by the second part of the header.) Or, by a feaster or the recipient
of the item as a gift?  For A&S it would probably depend on the
criteria for entry.  As the recipient of a gift, they'd probably be
delighted.  For A&S, most judges would likely accept a wonderful
tile without knowing that sugarpaste would probably not have been
used to make tiles, and thereby deducting something.  Tiny cups
quite probably could/would have been made.  The Italians did early
sugarwork than the English, but the English have listed lots of
things that were made of sugarpaste.  There is at least one
reference to a dinner setting, including napkins, being made of
sugarpaste.

As gifts (or even in certain A&S competitions) the tiles would be
lovely.  There are also period English tile designs which I used as
gifts.  (They were given to the Midrealm King and Queen to then give
to the other Pennsic royalty.)  Another neat idea for a competition
(even though it probably wouldn't have been done in period) would be
to reproduce some of the pictures from a Book of Hours' calendar,
such as the one belonging to the Duc du Berry.  One of my
apprentices did several of these for the Pennsic A&S war point
competition (may there never be another such!).

For a competition, you might also try reproducing a room of a castle
or Arabic equivalent.  Then you could use miniature tiles for the
floor...

Alys Katharine, reminiscing