Arkivism
The tale of the three men trapped in a cave by a rolling boulder, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night
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The tale of the three men trapped in a cave by a rolling boulder, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night

Bihzad (Persian, active in India mid-1500s), artist · c. 1560 · gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

Three men kneel in the bowels of a dark cave where they have been trapped while seeking hidden treasure. Fearful and desperate, they suddenly hear a disembodied voice that orders them to confess their transgressions. As each man speaks, a portion of the boulder disappears, and they are ultimately freed.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineThe tale of the three men trapped in a cave by a rolling boulder, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night, c. 1560. Attributed to Bihzad (Persian, active in India mid-1500s). Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20 x 13.3 cm (7 7/8 x 5 1/4 in.); painting only: 11.1 x 10.2 cm (4 3/8 x 4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.215.a

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