1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The monkey, serving as the lion’s chamberlain, converses with the lynx and its mate who have arrived with their cubs to settle in the lion’s domain, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-ninth Night is a 1560 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a monkey in a fancy robe talking to a lynx family outside a lion’s den, surrounded by bright tulips. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales made for Emperor Akbar’s court. The story is about power and who really owns the land—funny, since the monkey is in charge but the lynxes are moving in anyway. If you like this kind of storytelling art, look up *mughal india, court of akbar (reigned 1556–1605)*.
While the lion is away, the monkey is put in charge of protecting his land. However, a family of lynx soon move into the lion’s den, claiming that they are the rightful owners. The text depicts the lion’s home as a beautiful meadow with a field of tulips.
The artist has faithfully rendered the distinctive tufts on the ears of all five lynxes.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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