The monkey slain, his blood to be used as medicine for the ailing prince he has bitten, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifth Night
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a small, busy scene: two men in bright robes hold down a monkey while a third raises a sword. The monkey’s blood drips into a golden bowl. A sick prince watches from a balcony above. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales told at the Mughal court. The story sounds strange today, but it was serious medicine back then. The artist signed his name in the corner—rare for the time. To see more work from this court, look up *mughal india, court of akbar (reigned 1556–1605)*.
