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The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night

The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night, unspecified, 1560
The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night, unspecified, 1560

The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work depicts a dramatic episode from a Persian narrative collection, showing a woman in a blue garment confronting a grisly tableau.

About this work

Technique & Style

The work is a manuscript folio painted in opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper, created circa 1560 within the Mughal Empire.

The work is a manuscript folio painted in opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper, created circa 1560 within the Mughal Empire. The piece demonstrates Mughal miniature techniques with a flattened perspective and intricate narrative detail. The composition depicts the princess discovering the severed heads of her husband and his Brahman friend, rendered through precise line work and the palette characteristic of early Mughal court painting.

History & Provenance

The painting dates to 1560, produced within the Mughal Empire during the early years of that court. It originates as a folio from the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) manuscript series, illustrating the Thirty-fourth Night, and was created by an artist whose name is not recorded in the available records.

The work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, where it is now held. Its accession number, 1962.279.229.b, indicates it was accessioned by the museum in 1962, though the intermediate ownership history between its sixteenth-century Mughal creation and that acquisition is not documented in the available sources.

Overview

The work depicts a dramatic episode from a Persian narrative collection, showing a woman in a blue garment confronting a grisly tableau. She stands before a red‑walled structure with patterned flooring; through an open window a seated figure cradles a child. On the floor lie two decapitated bodies, their heads removed, creating a stark contrast between the vivid colors and the violent subject matter.

Subject & Meaning

The scene captures the moment a princess discovers the severed corpses of her husband and his Brahman companion, a pivotal point in the tale’s unfolding tragedy. Her expression of shock underscores the sudden revelation of betrayal and loss, while the juxtaposition of domestic interior and brutal aftermath invites reflection on the fragility of royal security within the story’s moral framework.

The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night
The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night

Artist & collection

SAME SUBJECT

Similarity 100 percent

VISUALLY SIMILAR

Similarity 98 percent
This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: Cleveland Museum of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.In the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Compiled & edited by , Editor & Founder.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I see The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night?

The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night?

The princess discovers the dead bodies, with heads severed, of her husband and his Brahman friend, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night is associated with Mughal Painting.