The Raja’s son vows to sever his head and offer it to the image if he is united with the princess he has seen in the temple, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1560
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
A prince in bright orange kneels before a golden statue, hands pressed together in prayer. His vow is written in the title: if he wins the princess he just saw in the temple, he’ll cut off his own head as an offering. The story comes from a book of parrot tales told over fifty-two nights. This scene is the thirty-fourth night. The prince’s father arranged the marriage, but the painting freezes the moment before the promise is kept—or broken. Look up more paintings from Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605) to see how royal artists told these old stories.
