Artwork Page for The prince, a son of the ruler of Sistan, enters the service of a snake, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-seventh Night

Details / Information for The prince, a son of the ruler of Sistan, enters the service of a snake, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-seventh Night

The prince, a son of the ruler of Sistan, enters the service of a snake, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-seventh Night

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: 8.6 x 10.2 cm (3 3/8 x 4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.245.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The snake is depicted as a cobra.

Description

A black snake rises from a hole to greet the prince of Sistan, in southeastern Iran. The prince, who had been wandering destitute through the wilderness has made a vow to serve the next living creature he meets. Although the snake is initially skeptical, he agrees to the arrangement and the prince is ultimately rewarded for his loyalty.
This vertical page features six lines of black Persian script above an opaque watercolor painting. On our right, a youth with light skin, wearing a patterned orange robe and red cap, stands in a rocky landscape looking toward a black cobra. The cobra, with a flared hood, emerges from a hole in rounded pinkish-tan and gray rocks on our left. A single green tree rises against a blue sky behind the figures.

The prince, a son of the ruler of Sistan, enters the service of a snake, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-seventh Night

c. 1560

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

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