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Hearing her declaration of love, Ayaz falls at the feet of Mahmuda at the holy shrine. The scene is witnessed by Salim, Ayaz’s friend, and a maid, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-third Night
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About this work
On the right, an ecstatic Ayaz, dressed in the orange tunic, reunites with his lover, Mahmuda, in a cemetery after her unwilling marriage to another man. Despite this separation, their mutual love has remained true. Salim, watching the reunion with Mahmuda’s maid, quickly devises a plan that will allow the couple to remain together.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineHearing her declaration of love, Ayaz falls at the feet of Mahmuda at the holy shrine. The scene is witnessed by Salim, Ayaz’s friend, and a maid, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-third 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: 8.7 x 10.2 cm (3 7/16 x 4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.221.a
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