The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

King Bhojaraja tries in vain to ascertain the whereabouts of the pearl from the four travelling companions, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twelfth Night

King Bhojaraja tries in vain to ascertain the whereabouts of the pearl from the four travelling companions, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twelfth Night

c. 1560
(reigned 1556–1605)
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 7.5 x 10.1 cm (2 15/16 x 4 in.)
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.97.b
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The king’s trellised kulahdar turban is a vestige of pre-Akbar painting styles.

Description

  1. Having arrived at the king's court, the streetcleaner laments that his priceless pearl was stolen, but he knows not by whom. The king summons the four travelers, but in spite of severe threats, none admits to the crime. The king sits on a golden seat with tent-like trappings behind him while an attendant holds the parasol of royalty over his head. Unable to discern who stole the pearl, the king calls for his clever daughter "who was so intelligent and resourceful in solving problems that she had instilled humility even in cunning and sagacious men." She related a story. From each of their reactions to the story, she was able to identify the thief, and the pearl was recovered.
  • ?–1959
    Estate of Breckinridge Long [1881–1958], Bowie, MD
    1959–1962?
    (Harry Burke Antiques, Philadelphia, PA)
    1959?–1962
    (Bernard Brown Agency, Milwaukee, WI, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Purchased with funds from Mrs. A. Dean [Helen Wade Greene] Perry)
    1962–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    Provenance Footnotes
    1 Samuel Miller Breckinridge Long (May 16, 1881–September 26, 1958) was an American diplomat and politician, who served in the administrations of Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Long is largely remembered for his obstructionist role as the Assistant Secretary of State responsible for granting refugee visas during World War II. His interests included the collection of antiques, paintings and American ship models. He maintained a stable of Thoroughbred race horses and was a director of the Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland, and he enjoyed fox hunting, fishing, and sailing.
  • Chandra, Pramod, and Daniel J. Ehnbom. The Cleveland Tuti-Nama Manuscript and the Origins of Mughal Painting. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1976. p. 111
    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, 111
    Seyller, John. “Overpainting in the Cleveland T̤ūtīnāma.” Artibus Asiae 52, no. 3/4 (1992): 283-318. p. 313 www.jstor.org
  • Main Gallery Rotation (gallery 245): April 28, 2015 - November 2, 2015.
  • {{cite web|title=King Bhojaraja tries in vain to ascertain the whereabouts of the pearl from the four travelling companions, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twelfth Night|url=false|author=|year=c. 1560|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.279.97.b