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The guard spares the life of the slave when he learns that he is the son of the princess of the Rum, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night
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The king, mistakenly believing that the princess’s secret son is her lover, orders him to be executed. The young man is shown with hands bound and long hair in disarray; his unraveled turban lies on the ground at his side. Just before the guard can behead him, the princess’s son reveals his true identity, and his life is spared.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineThe guard spares the life of the slave when he learns that he is the son of the princess of the Rum, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth 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: 7.9 x 10 cm (3 1/8 x 3 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry, 1962.279.321.b
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