He would throw open to the world his beautiful house and have the most celebrated musicians of the day to charm his guests with the wonders of their art. His little dinners, in the settling of which Lord Henry always assisted him, were noted as much for the careful selection and placing of those invited, as for the exquisite taste shown in the decoration of the table, with its subtle symphonic arrangements of exotic flowers, and embroidered cloths, and antique plate of gold and silver.
– Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray, Chapter 11. The story leaps forward in time, detailing the years Dorian spends emulating the adventures of the hero of the yellow book Lord Henry gave him. Dorian’s lifestyle goes full hedonism – a life dedicated to pleasure: dinner parties, musical gatherings, a beautiful house full of gold and silver, embroidered cloths and exotic flowers, showing his taste for the decorative arts. His mentor Lord Henry helped with the arranging of the dinners.