Artwork

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 an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This painting illustrates a moment from the Twenty-fifth Night of the Tuti-nama, a collection of moral tales framed by a parrot’s stories.

About this work

Look up more paintings from Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) to see how artists pictured love and punishment.

A woman stands on a stool, kissing a man who hangs from a rope. Her teeth sink into his nose as she pulls away.

This painting comes from a book of parrot tales told in the Mughal court. The story says the woman bites off her own nose to ruin her beauty—her lover’s last act of revenge from beyond the grave. The bright colors and flat shapes make the scene feel like a storybook, not real life.

Look up more paintings from Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) to see how artists pictured love and punishment.

Overview

This painting illustrates a moment from the Twenty-fifth Night of the Tuti-nama, a collection of moral tales framed by a parrot’s stories. Created in the Mughal court during Akbar’s reign, it depicts a tragic scene of love and retribution. The composition is stylized, with vivid hues and flattened forms typical of illustrated manuscripts from this period, emphasizing narrative clarity over naturalism.

Subject & Meaning

Hamnaz, having been discovered in an illicit relationship, kisses her condemned lover as he hangs. In his final act, he bites off her nose, disfiguring her as punishment for her transgression. The act symbolizes both vengeance and the irreversible consequences of forbidden desire. The tale functions as a cautionary allegory, warning against passion that defies social and moral boundaries.

Technique & Style

The artist employs bold, saturated colors and sharply defined outlines to create a theatrical, almost symbolic scene. Figures are rendered in a flattened, decorative manner, with little attempt at perspective or shadow. This stylization aligns with Mughal manuscript traditions, where clarity of story and emotional intensity took precedence over realistic spatial depth.

History & Provenance

Commissioned under Emperor Akbar, this painting originates from a deluxe manuscript of the Tuti-nama, produced in the imperial atelier around 1560. Such manuscripts were created by teams of artists and calligraphers for royal patrons. The work reflects the court’s interest in Persian literary traditions adapted into Indian visual culture, serving both entertainment and moral instruction.

Context

The Tuti-nama was part of a broader Mughal project to translate and illustrate Persian literature, blending Islamic, Indian, and Central Asian influences. Stories of love, betrayal, and divine justice were favored for their didactic value. This scene, though extreme, resonated with courtly audiences familiar with themes of honor, punishment, and the fragility of desire.

Legacy

The painting exemplifies how Mughal artists translated literary violence into visually arresting imagery, influencing later illustrated manuscripts. Its unflinching depiction of bodily punishment and emotional extremity remains a distinctive feature of early Mughal narrative art, offering insight into the period’s complex attitudes toward morality, gender, and retribution.