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 work depicts a young prince, son of the ruler of Sistan, as he begins his service to a snake, a scene taken from the thirty‑seventh night of the Persian illustrated manuscript known as the Tuti‑nama, or “Tales of a Parrot.” The composition is rendered as a painted illustration, typical of manuscript art that combines narrative and decorative elements.

In the image the prince, dressed in an orange robe, white trousers and blue shoes, stands calmly before a coiled snake. His hands are clasped in a gesture of reverence, and his gaze is directed downward toward the animal. The encounter suggests a symbolic initiation, where the prince’s humility and obedience are emphasized through his service to a creature traditionally associated with wisdom and danger.

The painting employs a flat, linear style characteristic of Persian miniature illustration, with bright, saturated colors and minimal shading. Details such as the red headband, the surrounding rocks, foliage, and a distant tree are rendered in fine brushwork, while the blue sky provides a simple atmospheric backdrop that frames the central figures without depth illusion.

The Tuti‑nama is a collection of moral tales illustrated for elite patrons in the Safavid period, often used to convey ethical lessons. This particular episode, featuring a prince’s service to a snake, reflects the broader cultural motif of humility before higher powers, a theme recurrent in Persian literary and visual traditions.