The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-fifth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A woman in a bright orange skirt stands on a blue carpet, listening to a green parrot perched on a bedpost. The bed behind her is empty, its sheets smooth. A thin muslin shawl flutters at her shoulders, its delicate fringe catching the light. This painting comes from a book of stories told by a parrot to keep its owner from sneaking out at night. The artist filled the scene with tiny patterns—carpets, fabrics, even the parrot’s feathers—showing off the luxury of the Mughal court. To see more art like this, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).
