Artwork Page for The snake, hidden in a basket of flowers, reveals himself to the Raja who has just sent away his wife, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-third Night

Details / Information for The snake, hidden in a basket of flowers, reveals himself to the Raja who has just sent away his wife, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-third Night

The snake, hidden in a basket of flowers, reveals himself to the Raja who has just sent away his wife, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-third 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: 10.6 x 10.8 cm (4 3/16 x 4 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.278.b
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The raja has sent his wife away after realizing the treachery of women.

Description

A black cobra appears beside the raja’s bed, intending to poison him in revenge for his earlier cruelty. The raja, who had mutilated the snake’s wife, reveals that he did so only after watching her seduce another snake. Upon realizing his wife’s treachery, the grateful cobra grants the raja the ability to talk to animals.
A vertically oriented gum tempera and ink painting depicts a man reclining on a couch between horizontal text panels. Facing our left, he wears a blue tunic and sheer robe detailed with gold. To his left, a black snake rises from a bowl of flowers. On our right, separated by a red pillar, stands a woman in a patterned dress. The interior features white walls with floral motifs and niches holding golden flasks.

The snake, hidden in a basket of flowers, reveals himself to the Raja who has just sent away his wife, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-third Night

c. 1560

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

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