The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Thirteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)

The work belongs to the Mughal painting tradition of the sixteenth century, executed circa 1560 within the imperial atelier of the Mughal Empire. It forms part of a dispersed Tuti-nama manuscript, a Persianate narrative cycle that was adapted and illustrated in Mughal court circles, reflecting the syncretic artistic milieu of the period. The piece demonstrates the stylistic refinement characteristic of Mughal manuscript painting, where narrative clarity and decorative precision converge, situating it within the broader trajectory of Indian court art and its dialogue with Persianate literary forms.

The work portrays a woman dressed in a red sari, positioned before an interior space that includes a tiled floor and a decorative wall with a window and doorway. To her left a caged parrot is shown, its feathers rendered with fine detail. The woman’s right hand is raised as if speaking to the bird, and she wears gold jewelry that catches the eye.

The scene illustrates a moment from the Persian narrative tradition of the Tuti‑nama, or "Tales of a Parrot," in which a parrot addresses a character named Khujasta on the thirteenth night. The interaction suggests a dialogue between human and animal, a common motif in literary illustrations that explores themes of communication, wisdom, and the supernatural.