Artwork
The daughter-in-law of the king of Banaras sees the jackal deprived of its food by a bird, as it unsuccessfully attempts to catch a fish, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Sixteenth Night
The daughter-in-law of the king of Banaras sees the jackal deprived of its food by a bird, as it unsuccessfully attempts to catch a fish, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Sixteenth Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work depicts a vividly dressed woman standing on a riverbank while a jackal lunges for a fish that a bird has already snatched.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The scene portrays a symbolic encounter in which the jackal, stripped of its prey by a predatory bird, reflects themes of vulnerability and thwarted desire.
The scene portrays a symbolic encounter in which the jackal, stripped of its prey by a predatory bird, reflects themes of vulnerability and thwarted desire. The jackal's failed attempt to catch a fish underscores futility, while the king's daughter-in-law's observation adds a layer of courtly scrutiny. Together they illustrate moral caution within the narrative framework of the Tuti-nama, a collection of animal fables used to convey didactic lessons.
History & Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art holds this miniature from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), accessioned as 1962.279.121.a. The work is dated to about 1560 and is attributed to an unknown artist of the Mughal atelier. The folio belongs to the Cleveland Tuti-nama, an illustrated manuscript of the tales produced in the imperial workshop during the reign of Akbar.
Overview
The work depicts a vividly dressed woman standing on a riverbank while a jackal lunges for a fish that a bird has already snatched. A tree, scattered rocks and assorted fruits, red and purple, populate the background, and a flowing script crowns the composition. The scene is taken from the sixteenth night of the medieval Persian collection Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot), in which animals behave as humans.
Technique & Style
Executed in bold, saturated hues, the painting relies on clear, decisive lines to delineate figures and action. The artist’s use of bright red and white for the female figure draws immediate attention, while the stylized rendering of flora and fruit adds decorative richness without detracting from the central drama.
Artist & collection
- The daughter-in-law of the king of Banaras sees the jackal deprived of its food by a bird, as it unsuccessfully attempts to catch a fish, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Sixteenth Night
The vagabond crosses a stream with the possessions of the daughter-in-law of the king of Banaras and absconds, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Sixteenth Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-fourth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Brahman gambler sees the daughter of the king of the jinns in a pit together with an old man and a cauldron of boiling oil, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot: Seventh Night)
The unfaithful wife explaining away the presence of the dough elephant, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The Brahman’s predicament is conveyed by the wind to the fish who carries the news to the king of the Ocean, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eleventh Night
The queen of Rum watches the peahen prefer to burn rather than abandon her eggs while the peacock flees the nest, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-ninth Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-first night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the forty-fourth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the forty-seventh night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-seventh Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-fourth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-eighth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)