Artwork
The donkey, in a tiger’s skin, reveals his identity by braying aloud, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-first Night
The donkey, in a tiger’s skin, reveals his identity by braying aloud, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-first Night is an unspecified painting by Basawan. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
This painting, 'The donkey, in a tiger’s skin, reveals his identity by braying aloud,' is a work by Basawan, created around 1560. It illustrates a scene from the Tuti-nama, a collection of tales.
Subject & Meaning
The scene depicts a forest with a striped animal standing on its hind legs, facing a tree with two figures. The image is likely illustrating a fable where a donkey disguised as a tiger is revealed by its bray.
Technique & Style
The painting features bold lines, exaggerated colors, and a detailed background with Persian script. The use of light and shadow creates a dramatic effect, drawing attention to the central figure.
History & Provenance
The painting is part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. It is an example of 16th-century Indian art, specifically from the Mughal period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Basāwan, or Basāvan, was an Indian miniature painter in the Mughal style. He was known by his contemporaries as a skilled colorist and keen observer of human nature, and for his use of portraiture in the illustrations…
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
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The siege of Arbela in the era of Hulagu Khan, from a Chingiz-nama (Book of Chingiz Khan) of the Jami al-tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles) of Rashid al-Din (Persian, 1247–1318)
A holy man prostrating himself before a learned prince
A feast for Babur hosted by his half-brother Jahangir Mirza in Ghazni in May 1505, from a Babur-nama (Memoirs of Babur)
The hunter throws away the baby parrots, who pretend to be dead, and captures the mother, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifth Night
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
The lion, suspecting treachery on the part of the monkey, slays him and flees, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-ninth Night
The lion returns to his territory and sees the monkey conversing with the lynx, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-ninth Night
The monkey, serving as the lion’s chamberlain, converses with the lynx and its mate who have arrived with their cubs to settle in the lion’s domain, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-ninth Night
The lion disturbed by mice who eat the food trapped in his aging teeth, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifteenth Night
The wolf and the jackal, serving as viziers, instigate the lion who pursues the Brahman up a tree, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-first Night
The hunter throws away the baby parrots, who pretend to be dead, and captures the mother, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifth Night