The handmaiden again appeals for justice and the prince is led to the place of execution for the third time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a crowded court scene: a prince kneels, hands tied, while a woman pleads with a king. Above them, another woman watches from a balcony. The prince stays silent, waiting for execution. This painting is from a *Tuti-nama*, a collection of parrot-told stories meant to entertain and teach. The prince’s vow of silence makes his fate hang on the words of others—a tense moment frozen in bright colors and fine details. To see more works like this, look up mughal india, court of akbar (reigned 1556–1605).
