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The pious man’s son presents the slain dragon to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night, by Unknown, unspecified, 1560

The pious man’s son presents the slain dragon to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night

Unknown

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Mughal Painting Renaissance Renaissance

Dominant colour

The pious man’s son presents the slain dragon to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second 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 king in an orange tunic staring at a headless dragon on the ground, its body stuck with arrows. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales made for Emperor Akbar’s court. The story shows a poor man’s son proving himself by killing the beast—so the king rewards him with a princess and a high title. The bright colors and tiny details were meant to impress the emperor, not just tell the tale. Look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) to see more of these royal book paintings.

The story of this work

Overview

The king, wearing an orange tunic, is astounded, and he gestures to the headless body of the dragon, pierced with poisoned arrows, on the ground before him. Impressed by the young man’s courage and skill, the king allows him to marry his daughter and names him vice-regent.

Did you know?

The king is distinguished by the sarpech , or plume ornament, in his turban.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Same subject

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 Unknown
The son of the pious man slays the dragon, 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 Unknown
The prince sent back to the place of execution for the sixth time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
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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 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 Unknown
King Bahram, who has married Khassa’s daughter, has her tied to a camel to be abandoned in the desert as a result of false accusations made by Khulasa, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-first Night
King Bahram, who has married Khassa’s daughter, has her tied to a camel to be abandoned in the desert as a result of false accusations made by Khulasa, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-first Night Unknown
The king gives his daughter in marriage to the pious man’s son, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night
The king gives his daughter in marriage to the pious man’s son, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-second Night Unknown
The astrologer predicts a calamity for the newly born prince in his thirteenth year, but one which he would be able to overcome, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The astrologer predicts a calamity for the newly born prince in his thirteenth year, but one which he would be able to overcome, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night Banavari 1
Khusrau, the King of Kings, pays homage to the pious daughter of Khassa, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-first Night
Khusrau, the King of Kings, pays homage to the pious daughter of Khassa, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-first Night Unknown
The wife of the son of the vizier brings the magic wooden parrot to her lover, the monk, who exchanges it for the replica, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Tenth Night
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The prince, once reprieved, is returned to the palace of execution a second time on the plea of the king’s handmaiden, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The prince, once reprieved, is returned to the palace of execution a second time on the plea of the king’s handmaiden, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night Gujarati

Same mood & palette

The deceitful wife returns to her terrace after caressing her lover, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The deceitful wife returns to her terrace after caressing her lover, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night Shravana
The king’s emissary being provided with gifts for his mission to Rum in order to seek the hand of the emperor’s daughter in marriage, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night
The king’s emissary being provided with gifts for his mission to Rum in order to seek the hand of the emperor’s daughter in marriage, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night Unknown

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