Collection Online as of January 29, 2023
The merchant of Tirmiz takes the wise parrot and myna to ‘Ubaid, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-second Night
Part of a set. See all set records
Mughal India, court of Akbar
(reigned 1556–1605)
Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 12 x 10.2 cm (4 3/4 x 4 in.)
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.269.b
Location
not on view
Fun Fact
Tirmiz, a city in modern-day Uzbekistan, is situated along the Amu-Darya river in Central Asia.
Description
The merchant of Tirmiz hurries home with a parrot’s cage clutched in his right hand and a myna bird’s in his left. His friend, dressed in orange, has suggested that these wise birds can offer advice to the merchant’s son, ‘Ubaid, who has becomes excessively infatuated with his wife.