Mahrusa kills herself at the tomb of the king of Zabul, and her husband does likewise, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-sixth Night
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman lies across a tomb, a gold knife in her chest. Her husband is next to her, another knife beside him. A man stands to the side, hands raised in shock. This painting tells a story from the *Tuti-nama*, a book of parrot tales read aloud at the Mughal court. The couple kills themselves to honor a dead king, turning grief into something sacred. The bright colors and flat figures make the scene feel like a story unfolding, not real life. To see more paintings like this, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).
