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The wolf and the jackal, serving as viziers, instigate the lion who pursues the Brahman up a tree, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-first Night, by Unknown, unspecified, 1560

The wolf and the jackal, serving as viziers, instigate the lion who pursues the Brahman up a tree, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-first Night

Unknown

1560

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Dominant colour

Overview

The wolf and the jackal, serving as viziers, instigate the lion who pursues the Brahman up a tree, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-first Night is a 1560 unspecified by Unknown, a Mughal Painting work, depicting Hunting, 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

A man clings to the top of a tree while a lion waits below, teeth bared. Around the lion, wolves and jackals whisper, urging him to attack. Two gentle deer watch from the side, looking worried. This painting comes from a book of parrot tales made for Emperor Akbar’s court. The story warns against bad advisors—here, the wolves and jackals play the villains. The bright colors and flat shapes make the scene feel like a fable, not real life. To see more art from this time, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).

The story of this work

Overview

The Brahman perches precariously at the top of a tree as the hungry lion waits below surrounded by wolves and jackals. Previously, the lion’s other viziers, the deer and the gazelle, had counseled the lion to treat the Brahman with kindness. They appear again to save the Brahman life.

Did you know?

The artist has depicted the gazelle and deer as a blackbuck and cow.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

More by Unknown

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