Kamjuy, the wife of the Raja, averts her face from the fishes, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-third Night
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman in a rich red robe turns her face away from a bowl of fish. Her veil hides her expression, but her body language says she’s embarrassed. The fish, though, aren’t just swimming—they’re laughing. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales told in the Mughal court. The story pokes fun at Kamjuy’s extreme modesty, making even the fish react. It’s a small moment, but it shows how humor and daily life appeared in royal art. To see more like this, look up *Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)*.
