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

[Martin G. Diehl]

Huette von Ahrens wrote:
> 
> I have been trying to order this book, but
> the publisher won't let me.  Amazon says that
> the book is "out of print--limited availablity".
> Even Barnes and Noble says it is "not available
> at this time".  Where else could I purchase
> this?

Did you try any online stores offering 'previously read' 
books (that was PCspeak for 'used books')?  

http://www.alibris.com
http://www.abebooks.com
http://www.strandbooks.com/home/

> Huette
> 
> --- 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 

Vincenzo

-- 
Martin G. Diehl

http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=MGD

Reality: That which remains after you stop thinking about it.
  inspired by P. K. Dick