Artwork

The young man of Baghdad reunited with his slave-girl, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-eighth Night

The young man of Baghdad reunited with his slave-girl, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-eighth 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 miniature illustrates a reunion scene from the forty‑eighth night of the Persian illustrated manuscript known as the Tuti‑nama, or Tales of a Parrot. Rendered on paper, the composition centers on two male figures in a lush garden, accompanied by an ornate chest and flowering trees, with Arabic inscription framing the image.

Subject & Meaning

The older figure, distinguished by a beard, a crown resembling thorns, and a blue robe, appears to be a ruler or noble. The younger man, dressed in brown, embraces him in a gesture suggesting relief and affection after a period of separation, reflecting the narrative’s theme of reunion between a master and his slave‑girl.

Technique & Style

Executed in the miniature tradition of Persian book art, the work employs fine brushwork and vibrant pigments, notably the deep blues of the robe and the rich reds and golds of the chest. The background foliage is rendered in delicate pink and orange blossoms, creating a stylized garden that frames the figures without realistic perspective.

History & Provenance

The painting originates from a 16th‑century illustrated manuscript of the Tuti‑nama, a collection of moral tales popular in the Islamic world. The manuscript later entered European collections, and the particular leaf now resides in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed among other examples of Persian miniature painting.

Context

Miniatures such as this were produced for elite patrons and served both decorative and didactic purposes, illustrating stories that conveyed ethical lessons. The depiction of a crown of thorns rather than a regal diadem may allude to themes of suffering and redemption common in the narrative tradition.