The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 26, 2022

The guard spares the life of the slave when he learns that he is the son of the princess of the Rum, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night

c. 1560

Part of a set. See all set records

Mughal India, court of Akbar

(reigned 1556–1605)

Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper

Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 7.9 x 10 cm (3 1/8 x 3 15/16 in.)

Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.321.b

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

The guard hides the princess’s son and does not reveal his identity to the king.

Description

The king, mistakenly believing that the princess’s secret son is her lover, orders him to be executed. The young man is shown with hands bound and long hair in disarray; his unraveled turban lies on the ground at his side. Just before the guard can behead him, the princess’s son reveals his true identity, and his life is spared.

Provenance
Estate of Breckenridge Long, Bowie, MD, 1959; Harry Burke Antiques, Philadelphia, PA; Bernard Brown, Milwaukee, WI;
Citations
Chandra, Pramod, and Daniel J. Ehnbom. The Cleveland Tuti-Nama Manuscript and the Origins of Mughal Painting. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1976. pp. 79, 148
Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.279.321.b