- Title
- Tray Cover
- Date Made
- 18th-19th century
- Period
- Ottoman
- Medium
- Velvet textile with metal threads
- Dimensions
- Overall (Diameter): 34 in. (86.36 cm)
- Accession Number
- M.2022.221
- Collecting Area
- Art of the Middle East: Contemporary
- Curatorial Notes
In large parts of the Islamic world, including the Ottoman empire, sufra, the Persian word for the fabric covering the dining surface, came to signify any place from which food was served—not unlike a dining table. In urban Ottoman households, the sufra was traditionally rectangular in shape and used as a dining space on the floor. Trays on stands could then be set on top to provide an elevated position, making them more accessible to those seated nearby. Known in Ottoman usage as a sufra bezi, tray covers not only protected the surface beneath but provided a beautiful mise en placefor a coffee service (cat. 129b) or a small meal as might have been served in Ottoman era palaces and elite households. The sufra bezi, also known as nihali, as here, made of velvet, satin, or leather, and laid inside round trays, became common by the mid- to late eighteenth century. Offering coffee to guests was a particularly important practice among the affluent citizens of Ottoman lands, and the wealth and success of the household were reflected not only in the opulence of the serving pieces but in the tray cover. These two brilliantly colored and elaborately decorated examples would have added to the delectation of the guests.
- Selected Bibliography
- Komaroff, Linda, editor. Dining with the Sultan: The Fine Art of Feasting. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; New York: DelMonico Books, 2023.
