Artwork
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Sixth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Sixth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Daswanth. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
You see a woman in a green robe sitting on a gold carpet while a bright green parrot perches on a branch above her.
You see a woman in a green robe sitting on a gold carpet while a bright green parrot perches on a branch above her.
This painting comes from a book of stories told by a parrot to delay a woman’s secret meeting. The artist worked in the court of Emperor Akbar, where painters blended Persian and Indian styles. Tiny details—like the soft grass tufts—show the same hand that painted other pages in the book.
To see more work from this time, look up mughal india, court of akbar (reigned 1556–1605).
Overview
This painting, 'The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Sixth Night,' is a page from a Tuti-nama, a collection of tales told by a parrot. It depicts a scene where the parrot begins to recount a story to a woman named Khujasta.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows Khujasta seated on a golden carpet, listening to the parrot perched on a branch above her. The parrot is about to tell the tale of seven men enchanted by a statue that comes to life.
Technique & Style
The painting blends Persian and Indian styles, characteristic of the artistic tradition at the court of Emperor Akbar. The artist's attention to detail is evident in the rendering of the soft grass tufts and the golden carpet.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the painter Dasavanta, this work is part of a larger manuscript. The style and details suggest that Dasavanta was responsible for other pages in the Tuti-nama.
Artist & collection
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Sixth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The wounded monkey bites the hand of the prince, his chessmate, in the presence of guests, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifth Night
The parrot mother cautions her young on the danger of playing with foxes, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifth Night
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Seventh Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the forty-seventh night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-seventh Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-sixth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-fifth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Tenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Eighteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Eleventh Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the fifty-first night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fifty-first Night
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Nineteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the fiftieth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-fourth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)