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The king of the Ocean, having assumed human form, arrives at the court of the Raja, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eleventh Night

Ghulam 'Ali

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Renaissance Allegory

Dominant colour

The king of the Ocean, having assumed human form, arrives at the court of the Raja, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eleventh Night is a 1560 unspecified by Ghulam 'Ali, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Ghulam 'Ali
When & what style?: 1560 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

A blue-skinned king kneels before a ruler on a golden throne, while a priest in white watches. The king wears a simple white cloth and a sacred thread; the ruler is dressed in fine muslin and a flat turban. This scene comes from a story told by a parrot to keep a queen from sneaking out at night. The artist painted it for Emperor Akbar’s royal workshop, where Hindu tales were illustrated in a style that mixed Persian and Indian traditions. To see more paintings like this, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).

The story of this work

Overview

His hands raised in a gesture of respectful greeting, the Raja got down from his throne to welcome the king of the ocean, wearing a crown with white flowers. At the left, the Brahman holds a rosary in his hands. The raja wears the clothing and turban favored by Emperor Akbar: fine white muslin tunic with long points, pants, and a ready-tied flat turban. The king of the ocean is dressed like the Brahman, with a wrapped lower garment called a dhoti, and he wears a sacred thread over his left shoulder, which is the mark of a high-born Hindu.