Shahr-Arai and her husband adopt her lover as a brother in the family, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fortieth Night

The miniature from the Fortieth Night of the Tuti-nama, depicting Shahr-Arai and her husband adopting her lover as a brother, entered the Cleveland Museum of Art collection and is catalogued as 1962.279.262.a. Its attribution to the Mughal period (dated 1560) and stylistic analysis have established it as a representative example of 16th-century Persian miniature narrative painting. The work’s visual storytelling of familial reconciliation has been referenced in scholarly studies of Indian subcontinent manuscript illumination and continues to inform discussions of gender and power dynamics in Safavid-era art.

The painting’s inclusion in major museum holdings and academic publications has contributed to renewed interest in the narrative cycles of the Tuti-nama, influencing exhibitions that explore cross-cultural transmission of Persian literary art in the early modern period.

The work depicts three figures seated on a patterned rug within an interior space defined by tiled walls and an arched doorway. The leftmost figure wears an orange robe and a red cap, the central figure is dressed in green with a white hat, and the rightmost figure is clothed in orange and yellow with a headscarf. A low table before them holds a few bowls and a cup, while a flowing script above the scene suggests a narrative context.

The scene illustrates a moment from a Tuti-nama, a Persian illustrated manuscript of stories. It shows Shahr‑Araï and her husband welcoming her lover into the family as a brother, a gesture that reflects themes of reconciliation and social integration within the tale’s fortieth night episode.

Rendered in miniature painting style, the composition relies on delicate brushwork, intricate patterning on the rug, and a limited yet vivid palette of oranges, greens, and reds. The architectural elements, tiled wall and arched doorway, are stylized rather than realistic, emphasizing narrative over spatial depth.