Artwork Page for The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Thirtieth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)

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The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Thirtieth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)

c. 1560

Mughal India, court of Akbar

(reigned 1556–1605)
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Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 11.5 x 10.2 cm (4 1/2 x 4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.198.a
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The parrot was overpainted and repositioned—his original tail is still visible!

Description

At the beginning of fifty-two consecutive nights, Khujasta prepares to depart her home to meet her lover. Before she leaves, she consults with Tuti, her husband’s wise talking parrot. On this occasion, he tells her the story of a woman, her children, and their dangerous encounter with a leopard.
A vertically oriented tempera and ink painting is framed by bands of black script at top and bottom. Centrally, a woman in a patterned orange skirt stands in a green garden, gesturing toward a parrot in a gold cage to our left. To our right, an interior room features walls with floral patterns and a yellow bed. Below, a pink brick courtyard holds small bowls and vessels. Flat perspectives and intricate details define the scene.

The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Thirtieth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)

c. 1560

Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)

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