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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
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About this work
The raja’s son, wearing orange, stands with his hands raised in supplication before an enshrined golden image. When he entered the temple for worship, he encountered a princess and instantly became deeply enamored by her beauty. Upon arriving home, his father ensured that the two would be married, although the promised self-sacrifice remained unfulfilled.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe 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, 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: 12.5 x 10 cm (4 15/16 x 3 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.227.a
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