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The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night

The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night, unspecified, 1560
The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night, unspecified, 1560

The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The canvas portrays a woman in a bright yellow dress and a red veil, poised on a modest platform.

About this work

History & Provenance

The painting was created circa 1560 during the Mughal Empire period, a time when illustrated manuscript traditions flourished under imperial patronage.

The painting was created circa 1560 during the Mughal Empire period, a time when illustrated manuscript traditions flourished under imperial patronage.

It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1962 as part of a larger acquisition, assigned the accession number 1962.279.177.a. The work's Mughal origin and the date align with the stylistic and historical context of sixteenth-century courtly manuscript painting in South Asia.

Context

Created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, this painting illustrates a scene from the Twenty-fifth Night of the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot). The work is attributed to an unknown artist and is currently held by the Cleveland Museum of Art. As part of a manuscript tradition, the painting reflects the early Mughal engagement with Persian literary narratives, specifically the moralistic tales of the parrot.

The depiction of the lover of Hamnaz biting off her nose serves as a visual interpretation of this specific episode. While the specific identity of the painter remains unrecorded in available records, the piece stands as a representative example of mid-sixteenth-century Mughal manuscript illumination.

Overview

The canvas portrays a woman in a bright yellow dress and a red veil, poised on a modest platform. She leans forward to kiss a suspended figure whose pallid face and limp posture suggest recent execution. The man, clad in an orange robe and white trousers, hangs from a gallows against a pink‑purple backdrop accented with blue and gold tones, while small rocks and foliage occupy the foreground.

Subject & Meaning

The scene illustrates a moment from the Persian narrative collection known as the Tuti‑nama, specifically the twenty‑fifth night in which a lover, condemned to death, receives a final kiss from his beloved. The woman's gesture, simultaneously tender and tragic, conveys an attempt at consolation amid inevitable loss, underscoring themes of devotion, mortality, and the visceral intensity of farewell.

Technique & Style

Rendered with a muted yet vivid palette, the artist employs flat areas of color to delineate clothing and background, while subtle modeling gives the figures a three‑dimensional presence. The composition balances decorative patterning, visible in the veil and ornamental background, with a narrative focus, allowing the emotional exchange to dominate the visual field.

The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night
The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night

Artist & collection

SAME SUBJECT

Similarity 100 percent

VISUALLY SIMILAR

Similarity 98 percent
This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night?

The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night?

The lover of Hamnaz, who has been hanged from the gallows, bites off her nose when she kisses him, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-fifth Night is associated with Mughal Painting.