Sugar & Spice

Sugar and Spice showcases works from the Gardiner Museum’s permanent collection in a fresh and exciting way—through the themes of food and flavour.

Sugar and spices play a vital role in the modern world, shaping favourite dishes and national cuisines. These ingredients have also played important roles historically around the world, influencing trade, cultural traditions and social etiquette.

The ceramic vessels that are associated with various types of sweets and savouries tell us fascinating stories about different people and places, and connect us all through the common experience of food. By placing 18th-century German porcelain sugar bowls alongside Classic Maya terracotta chocolate vessels, Sugar and Spice illuminates the fascinating stories that sweets and spices reveal about history, culture, and ourselves. See the main exhibition in the museum lobby, and follow the theme of Sugar and Spice throughout the galleries, making your own connections with the help of a self-guided tour.

Sugar and Spice is curated by University of Toronto graduate student Kendra Ainsworth as part of an internship program run by the Gardiner Museum.