Artwork
The four destitute friends go to a wise man who gives each one of them a magic shell to be placed on top of the turban, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-seventh Night
The four destitute friends go to a wise man who gives each one of them a magic shell to be placed on top of the turban, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-seventh 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 domestic interior where five figures are gathered amid a richly patterned setting.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Executed in 1560 during the Mughal period, the work originates from a Persian manuscript tradition that blended narrative illustration with didactic allegory.
The miniature shows four impoverished companions seeking counsel from a sage, each receiving a mystical shell to be affixed atop his turban, a motif drawn from the forty‑seventh night of the Tuti‑nama. The shells symbolize divine guidance and the promise of redemption for the destitute, reflecting Sufi themes of spiritual assistance amid material hardship. Executed in 1560 during the Mughal period, the work originates from a Persian manuscript tradition that blended narrative illustration with didactic allegory.
The Cleveland Museum of Art holds this painting in its collection, preserving a rare example of courtly illustration that merges narrative detail with symbolic instruction.
History & Provenance
This miniature belongs to the Mughal series known as the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), produced around 1560 under the patronage of the imperial Mughal court. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds the work, which entered its collection in 1962 as accession number 1962.279.301.b. The painting’s precise origin traces to the Mughal Empire during the mid-sixteenth century, aligning with the documented production period for this manuscript’s illustrations.
Overview
The work depicts a domestic interior where five figures are gathered amid a richly patterned setting. One seated individual extends his hand toward a standing companion, suggesting an exchange. The surrounding walls are adorned with blue floral motifs, while the ceiling features a green expanse punctuated by red brickwork. The participants wear vivid robes in reds, yellows and purples, creating a lively yet composed atmosphere.
Technique & Style
Executed in a detailed, flat decorative manner, the artist employs bright, saturated pigments to delineate clothing and architectural elements. The patterned background and stylized figures reflect a Persian miniature tradition, where narrative is conveyed through clear outlines and ornamental surfaces rather than naturalistic modeling.
Context
The painting belongs to a broader visual culture that illustrated literary works, particularly those involving moral or didactic tales. Such images served both decorative and instructional functions, reinforcing the story’s themes of wisdom and resourcefulness within a domestic setting.
Artist & collection
The three suitors again begin to quarrel among themselves for the hand of the devotee’s daughter, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twentieth Night
Mahrusa’s marriage to the prefect of the city, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-sixth Night
The court of the Raja of Ujjain, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-sixth Night
The merchant’s daughter gives birth to a son as a result of eating out of the box. The clever child recognizes the false gems from true, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-third Night
The rejuvenated old man and the daughter of the king of the jinns take leave of the King of Kings, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Seventh Night
The three young men present themselves as suitors for the hand of Zuhra, the daughter of the merchant of Kabul, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
- The four destitute friends go to a wise man who gives each one of them a magic shell to be placed on top of the turban, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-seventh Night
The three young men present themselves as suitors for the hand of Zuhra, the daughter of the merchant of Kabul, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night
The young man of Baghdad solicits advice from a friend as his slave girl, who is adept at music, awaits, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-eighth Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-seventh night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
Three suitors fight amongst themselves for the hand of the devotee’s daughter, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twentieth Night