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The prince, having deprived the snake of its natural food, a frog, feeds it with a piece of his own flesh, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighteenth Night
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About this work
The prince and Good Fortune in the form of a woman came across a pool, here rendered with geometric tile work, tilted up so that the viewer can see it as though from above. A cobra had caught a frog, who cried out for help. The prince freed the frog, who jumped into the water and rejoined his mate. The prince then cut a piece of his own flesh for the snake to eat instead. The wives of the snake and frog then admonished their husbands to return the favor.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe prince, having deprived the snake of its natural food, a frog, feeds it with a piece of his own flesh, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighteenth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 9 x 10.1 cm (3 9/16 x 4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.132.b
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