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The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Seventh Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) — Anonymous, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)

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Written by: Alp SezerSpecialist · Miniature Painting
Miniature Painting · Catalogue no. 6327
Anonymous, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)

The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Seventh Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)

StatusReference work · Not for sale
Held byCleveland Museum of Art
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Every night for 52 nights the sly domesticated parrot encourages his master’s wife Khujasta to meet her lover under cover of darkness. Just before she leaves, the parrot mentions a topic from a tantalizing tale; she becomes so curious that she cannot go out before hearing the whole story. By the time the story ends, dawn breaks, and it is too late for her to go out unnoticed. The artist who painted this page was still firmly entrenched in the idioms of pre-Mughal painting.

Artist / MakerAnonymous, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
Datec. 1560
Culture / OriginMughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
Mediumgum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
DimensionsOverall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 9 x 10 cm (3 9/16 x 3 15/16 in.)
DepartmentIndian and Southeast Asian Art
TypePainting
About the Artist

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Provenance & Source

Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.

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