Artwork
The king gives his daughter in marriage to the pious man’s son, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night
The king gives his daughter in marriage to the pious man’s son, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a king offering his daughter in marriage to the son of a pious man, illustrating the fifty‑second night of the Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot).
The painting shows a king offering his daughter in marriage to the son of a pious man, illustrating the fifty‑second night of the Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot). As a Mughal work dated to 1560, it exemplifies the empire’s practice of illustrating literary manuscripts that conveyed moral and courtly values. The scene emphasizes themes of virtuous alliance and legitimacy, reflecting the Mughal court’s interest in portraying idealized marital unions drawn from popular story collections.
Technique & Style
The miniature depicts a royal marriage ceremony rendered in tempera and gold leaf on paper, a hallmark of Mughal manuscript illumination. The figures are outlined with fine contours and filled with flat, saturated colors, while delicate shading defines folds of clothing and architectural details. Gold accents highlight the bride’s veil and the king’s crown, creating a luminous surface that guides the eye across the composition.
The scene is handled with a balanced, almost symmetrical arrangement that emphasizes narrative clarity over naturalistic perspective, reflecting the stylized visual language of 16th‑century Persianate court painting.
History & Provenance
Created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, this painting illustrates the fifty-second night of the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot). The specific artist responsible for the work remains unidentified. The piece eventually entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.339.a.
No further details regarding its original commission or intermediate ownership history prior to its museum acquisition are provided in the available records.
Context
The miniature illustrating the king’s daughter’s marriage to the pious man’s son appears in the fifty‑second night of the Tuti‑nama, a Persian illustrated manuscript produced in the mid‑sixteenth century within the Mughal imperial workshop. The work is attributed to an anonymous painter active in that milieu and is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as accession 1962.279.339.a and dated 1560. Its iconography and stylistic treatment have been examined in scholarship on Mughal book‑arts, situating it among other illustrated Persian narrative cycles that blend Timurid traditions with emerging Safavid aesthetics.
Overview
The work illustrates a royal wedding ceremony drawn from the fifty‑second night of the Tuti‑nama, a collection of Persian‑influenced Indian tales. A king seated on an elevated platform presents his daughter to the son of a devout man, surrounded by courtiers and attendants. The composition is framed by a pink backdrop and a bright canopy, conveying a festive atmosphere through vivid hues and meticulous miniature detailing.
Artist & collection
- The king gives his daughter in marriage to the pious man’s son, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night
The young prince recounts his experiences to his father, the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The marriage of ‘Ubaid, son of a merchant of Tirmiz, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-second 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
Mahrusa’s marriage to the prefect of the city, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-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
Khalis repays the prince for his kindness by changing into a snake and sucking the poison from the king’s daughter, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighteenth Night
The king’s emissary being provided with gifts for his mission to Rum in order to seek the hand of the emperor’s daughter in marriage, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night
Kaiwan sends a message of love to Khurshid, wife of his brother Utarid who is away on a journey, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night
The young prince recounts his experiences to his father, the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The young prince is presented to the king, his father, by his teacher, but refuses to speak, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page