[Sca-cooks] Sultan's Book of Delights-- late 15th century

[Elaine Koogler]

Bill Fisher wrote:

>On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 20:29:09 -0500, Johnna Holloway
><johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu> wrote:
>  
>
>>Here's a new one from Routledge.
>>
>>Johnnae llyn Lewis
>>
>>The NI'Matnama Manuscript of the Sultans of Mandu: The Sultan's Book of
>>Delights
>>
>># 576 pages (February 2005)
>># Publisher: RoutledgeCurzon
>># ISBN: 041535059X
>>
>>115 US dollars
>>
>>Routledge says:
>>
>>The Ni'matnama is a late fifteenth-century book of recipes written for
>>the Sultan of Mandu, in what is now Madhya Pradesh, India. It contains
>>recipes for cooking a variety of delicacies and epicurean delights, as
>>well as providing remedies and aphrodisiacs for Nasir ad-Din Shah of
>>Mandu and his court. The text provides a unique account of courtly life
>>in a fifteenth century Indian Sultanate and documents a fascinating
>>stage in the history of Indian cookery.
>>
>>There is only one copy of The Sultan's Book of Delights in existence,
>>held in the Oriental and India Office Collections of the British Library
>>(BL-Persian 149). The book manuscript is illustrated with fifty elegant
>>miniature paintings, most of which show showing the Sultan observing the
>>women of his court as they prepare and serve him various dishes. These
>>illustrations are important historical art documents in their own right.
>>Painted in a distinctive Shirazi (Southern Iranian) style, they are also
>>stylistically influenced by indigenous styles of book painting found in
>>Central and Western India, and are the earliest known example of
>>miniature painting in an Islamic Deccani style.
>>
>>For the first time, a facsimile of the original text is reproduced for a
>>scholarly audience. Norah Titley, formerly assistant keeper, Oriental
>>Collections at the British Library, has masterfully translated this
>>unique book.
>>
>>Contents:
>>1. Preface 2. Introduction 3. List and description of the manuscript's
>>illustrations 4. Facsimile of the manuscript including colour inserts
>>for illustrations 5. Translation of the manuscript 6. Bibliography 7.
>>Glossary 8. Index
>>
>>_______________________________________________
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>>Sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
>>http://www.ansteorra.org/mailman/listinfo/sca-cooks
>>
>>    
>>
>
>I neeeeeeeed this book.  I've been reading on indian cuisine for weeks
>now.  (yeah, I know I should be studyin for work, but all work and no 
>play makes Cadoc a raving lunatic, no, wait, a worse one). I'm geting
>ready to pick up some Indian and persian cuisine books from B&N
>here locally then torture my roomate with the recipes. (or if there
>are any other local volunteers who want to play with it, it would have
>to be at your place, my hood isn't safe unless they know you).
>
>I have visions of an indian feast :-)
>
>Cadoc
>  
>
Yeah...I'd love to have it as well...but, at what I'm told is the 
current exchange rate, the 65 pounds which comes out to $120+, it's 
going to have to wait a bit.  If someone gets it, please let us know how 
good it is...and how useful!

Thanks!

Kiri