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The gardener seizes and beats a donkey who insisted on braying, while the deer, its companion flees to safety, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-first Night
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About this work
On the right, the furious gardener raises his staff to strike the ensnared donkey, who struggles to escape his bonds. The deer had previously tried to warn the donkey that his loud and abrasive singing would be his downfall. However, the stubborn donkey could not resist the temptation to bray.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe gardener seizes and beats a donkey who insisted on braying, while the deer, its companion flees to safety, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-first 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: 11.7 x 10.2 cm (4 5/8 x 4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.267.a
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