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The snake, hidden in a basket of flowers, reveals himself to the Raja who has just sent away his wife, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-third Night
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About this work
A black cobra appears beside the raja’s bed, intending to poison him in revenge for his earlier cruelty. The raja, who had mutilated the snake’s wife, reveals that he did so only after watching her seduce another snake. Upon realizing his wife’s treachery, the grateful cobra grants the raja the ability to talk to animals.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe snake, hidden in a basket of flowers, reveals himself to the Raja who has just sent away his wife, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-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: 10.6 x 10.8 cm (4 3/16 x 4 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.278.b
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