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The origin of music from a fabulous bird of India which had seven holes in its beak, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fourteenth Night

Unknown

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

The origin of music from a fabulous bird of India which had seven holes in its beak, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fourteenth Night is a 1560 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1560 · Mughal Painting
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a man crouched under a tasseled canopy, holding a book and a *vina*—a stringed instrument. A tree behind him holds his sword, shield, and quiver. Above, a strange bird with seven beak holes perches on a branch. This painting comes from the *Tuti-nama*, a collection of parrot tales told at the Mughal court. The bird, called a *qaqnos*, was said to create music from its beak, inspiring human song. The scene blends fantasy with the real world of Emperor Akbar’s court. To see more like this, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).

The story of this work

Overview

This story tells of a fantastical bird called a qaqnos who emitted sonorous tones from its beak when joyful. From these sounds, the science of music was developed. In the image, a man holding a book in one hand and an instrument called a vina in the other crouches beneath a tasseled canopy. His weapons, a quiver, sword, and shield hang in the tree nearby.