Artwork
The dethroned frog Shapur seeks the help of the serpent, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenth-sixth Night
The dethroned frog Shapur seeks the help of the serpent, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenth-sixth Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work depicts a moment from the twenty‑sixth night of the Persian Tuti‑nama, a collection of fables narrated by a parrot.
About this work
Overview
The work depicts a moment from the twenty‑sixth night of the Persian Tuti‑nama, a collection of fables narrated by a parrot. A serpent emerges from a large stone, its head turned toward a frog perched on a smaller rock, while foliage frames the scene against a pale green backdrop.
Subject & Meaning
The tableau illustrates the frog’s appeal to the snake for assistance after having been dethroned, a motif that underscores themes of power reversal and the negotiation of authority within the moral tales of the Tuti‑nama.
Technique & Style
Rendered in muted earth tones—greens, browns and ochres—the painting emphasizes texture through careful brushwork that differentiates the roughness of stone, the sheen of the serpent’s scales, and the delicate foliage. The composition balances foreground detail with a simplified background, characteristic of manuscript illustration traditions.
History & Provenance
The piece originates from a historical period when illustrated manuscripts of Persian literature were produced for elite patrons. Its exact date and original patron remain unidentified, but stylistic features align it with late medieval Persian book art.
Artist & collection
The snake enters into an argument with the frog, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-sixth Night
Khalis repays the prince for his kindness by changing into a snake and sucking the poison from the king’s daughter, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighteenth Night
The prince and Nikfal are joined by Khalis and the Mukhlis who are the grateful snake and frog in human form, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighteenth 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 sentinel in the employ of the Shah of Tabaristan prepares to sacrifice his son to the ghost of the Shah’s soul, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Second Night
The tale of the three men trapped in a cave by a rolling boulder, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night