Artwork

Latif, who has murdered his brother, falsely accuses Khurshid of the deed, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night

Latif, who has murdered his brother, falsely accuses Khurshid of the deed, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night is an unspecified painting by Unknown. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

The surrounding garden, rendered with stylised flora, frames the action.

The work depicts a domestic interior scene from a Persian illustrated manuscript, showing a confrontation between four figures in front of a red‑tiled building with a white, patterned wall and a single window. A man in a green shirt and white trousers stands in the doorway, gesturing toward a prone figure in orange and blue, while a kneeling woman and another standing man complete the tense grouping. The surrounding garden, rendered with stylised flora, frames the action.

Subject & Meaning

The narrative derives from the thirty‑second night of the Tuti‑nama, a collection of moral tales. In this episode, Latif, who has killed his brother, falsely blames Khurshid for the murder. The composition captures the moment of accusation, with the standing figure representing the accuser and the fallen figure embodying the unjustly blamed victim, while the kneeling woman may symbolize pleading or sorrow.

Technique & Style

Executed in vivid pigments, the painting employs intricate geometric motifs on the architecture and elaborate textile patterns on the costumes, characteristic of Persian miniature art. The use of bold, contrasting colours—greens, oranges, blues, and reds—creates a dynamic visual rhythm, while the fine linear detailing conveys both decorative richness and narrative clarity.

History & Provenance

The image originates from a hand‑illuminated copy of the Tuti‑nama, a manuscript tradition that flourished in the Safavid period. Such illustrated pages were typically produced for elite patrons and circulated among literary circles, though the specific copy’s later ownership and current location are not documented in the provided information.

Context

Within the broader tradition of Persian storytelling, the Tuti‑nama blends moral instruction with entertainment, often illustrated with scenes that emphasize ethical dilemmas. This particular vignette reflects themes of fraternal betrayal and false testimony, common motifs in medieval Islamic literature, and the visual treatment aligns with contemporary artistic conventions of narrative illustration.