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The cat attacks the mice which disturb the lion, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifteenth Night

Unknown

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Renaissance Allegory Mughal Court

Dominant colour

The cat attacks the mice which disturb the lion, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifteenth Night is a 1560 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, depicting Mughal Court, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1560 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

A cat leaps at a swarm of mice while a lion watches from his throne. The mice scatter in panic, their tiny bodies flying across the page. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales told in the Mughal court. The story is a fable—mice disturb the lion, so he hires a cat to guard his sleep. Here, the cat’s son takes over and goes too far, killing all the mice. The lion fires the cat for the mess. If you like this, look up *Mughal court* next. Their art often mixed animals and morals in bright, busy scenes.

The story of this work

Overview

One day came when the cat brought one of his sons to substitute for him as guardian against the mice, so that he could have some time away to visit his other children. That night the young cat killed all of the mice, as shown in this painting, after which the lion had no need for a cat anymore and relieved him of his position as Magistrate of the Court. The text reads: "The cat said to his son, ‘The spark of this calamity was set by you, and the robe of this disaster was tailored by you. If you had not annihilated the mice and had not entirely relieved the lion’s heart of his grief, he would…