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The parrot laughs on hearing the Raja of Ujjain’s wife admire her beauty in a mirror, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot: Forty-sixth Night
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The raja’s wife claims to be the most beautiful woman in the world. The parrot laughs at her arrogance and tells them of a girl living in an underground kingdom whose beauty is incomparable. From the parrot’s words alone, the raja becomes obsessed with the girl and leaves to seek her company.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe parrot laughs on hearing the Raja of Ujjain’s wife admire her beauty in a mirror, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot: Forty-sixth 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: 13.3 x 9.8 cm (5 1/4 x 3 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.292.b
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