Artwork
The pious man’s son presents the slain dragon to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night
The pious man’s son presents the slain dragon to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This painting illustrates a narrative scene from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), specifically the Fifty-second Night.
About this work
History & Provenance
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1962.
Created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, this painting illustrates the fifty-second night of the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot). The work was produced by an unknown artist as part of a larger manuscript cycle. It depicts the scene where the pious man's son presents a slain dragon to a king.
The piece is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.338.a. While the specific commission details for this individual folio are not recorded in the available sources, its creation is firmly dated to the mid-sixteenth century during the early Mughal period.
The painting is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, located in Cleveland. It is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.338.a. The work was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire. The provided sources do not contain information regarding specific exhibitions in which this artwork has been displayed.
Context
The painting from 1560 depicts the pious man’s son presenting the slain dragon to the king in a Tuti-nama manuscript, reflecting Mughal artistic traditions. It is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged as part of their collection and studied within the context of 16th-century Indian miniature painting. Scholarship on the work remains limited, but its style and narrative placement contribute to understanding the evolution of narrative illustration in Mughal manuscript culture.
The artist is recorded as anonymous in the museum’s documentation, though the work is attributed to the Mughal period based on stylistic and historical analysis. Its composition and iconography are examined in relation to contemporary Persianate artistic influences transmitted through the Mughal court, situating it within broader developments in South Asian painting.
Legacy
The Mughal miniature depicting the pious man’s son presenting the slain dragon to the king influenced later artistic depictions of moral triumph over evil, particularly in regional variations of the Tuti-nama narrative. Its inclusion in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection has preserved its visibility within Western scholarship on South Asian miniature traditions, contributing to broader discussions of narrative cycles in Islamic manuscript painting. The work is cited in studies of 16th-century Mughal court aesthetics and their transregional transmission through manuscript circulation.
Overview
This painting illustrates a narrative scene from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), specifically the Fifty-second Night. A figure in green presents a slain dragon to a monarch, set against a natural outdoor backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a triumphant moment where the pious man’s son offers the conquered dragon to the king. The scene conveys themes of victory, honor, and possibly the moral lessons characteristic of Tuti-nama tales.
Technique & Style
The work features vibrant, distinctive attire (notably green and orange) and a detailed, coiled dragon. A serene, grassy hillside and blue sky compose the outdoor setting, with figures on horseback adding depth.
Artist & collection
- The pious man’s son presents the slain dragon to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night
The son of the pious man slays the dragon, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night
The prince, a son of the ruler of Sistan, enters the service of a snake, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-seventh Night
The young prince is presented to the king, his father, by his teacher, but refuses to speak, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The prince, a son of the ruler of Sistan, enters the service of a snake, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-seventh Night
The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night
The prince sent back to the place of execution for the sixth time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The young man, who has magically taken on the appearance of Mansur the merchant, arrives at his home, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Seventeenth Night
