The king of the Ocean, having assumed human form, arrives at the court of the Raja, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eleventh Night

The painting belongs to the dispersed Cleveland Tuti-nama, one of the earliest illustrated manuscripts produced in the imperial Mughal atelier and a key document for the study of the formative Mughal painting style. The leaf remains part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, preserving its place within the study of South Asian manuscript illumination.

The work depicts a narrative scene set within a vivid red interior framed by an ornate border. Central to the composition is a crowned figure in pink, holding a fan and caught in a dance-like pose. Flanking him are two attendants: one in a white cap, hands clasped in observation, and another in a blue sash, raising a golden horn while grasping an embellished bag. Arabic script crowns the upper edge, indicating a literary source.

The painting illustrates a moment from the eleventh night of a Tuti‑nama, a collection of parrot tales, in which the oceanic king assumes human form to appear before a raja’s court. The regal attire and ceremonial objects underscore the king’s transformed status, while the surrounding figures convey courtly reception and curiosity toward the supernatural visitor.

During the period when illustrated storybooks flourished, depictions of mythic rulers adopting human guise were common, serving both entertainment and moral instruction. The inclusion of Arabic script and courtly attire situates the scene within a cultural milieu that valued literary sophistication and visual opulence.