Artwork
The goldsmith judged; the bear cubs trained by the carpenter as though they were his sons, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Third Night
The goldsmith judged; the bear cubs trained by the carpenter as though they were his sons, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Third Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The work illustrates a lively domestic tableau drawn from the third night of the medieval Persian collection known as the Tuti‑nama, or Tales of a Parrot. Central to the composition is an orange‑robed figure seated on an elaborately patterned rug, gesturing toward a standing companion. Adjacent, two men attend a black bear cub, handling the animal as one would a child.
Subject & Meaning
The scene combines two narrative strands from the tale: a goldsmith undergoing judgment and a carpenter raising bear cubs as if they were his own sons. By juxtaposing these episodes, the painting reflects themes of apprenticeship, authority, and the blending of professional and familial duties within the moral storytelling tradition of the text.
Technique & Style
Executed in vibrant pigments, the artist employs a rich palette of orange, red, and green to delineate figures, textiles, and architectural elements. Fine linear work renders the rug’s intricate motifs and the characters’ clothing, while broader washes define the white building with a red roof and the surrounding verdant foliage, creating depth through layered detail.
Context
The Tuti‑nama, a 14th‑century Persian manuscript of fables, was widely illustrated across the Islamic world. This painting follows the conventional narrative illustration style of the period, where multiple episodes are presented within a single frame, allowing viewers to follow the story sequentially while appreciating decorative richness.
Artist & collection
The old man eats of the fruit of the Tree of Life, but drops dead, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night
The marriage of ‘Ubaid, son of a merchant of Tirmiz, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-second Night
The prince sent back to the place of execution for the sixth time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
Mahrusa’s marriage to the prefect of the city, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-sixth Night
The merchant has the hateful skull ground and put into a box, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-third Night
The young prince recounts his experiences to his father, the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The magic parrot of the merchant talks to the vizier’s son, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Tenth Night
The merchant’s daughter gives birth to a son as a result of eating out of the box. The clever child recognizes the false gems from true, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-third Night
The eldest brother explains the reason for his youthful appearance, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-ninth Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-third night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The three young men present themselves as suitors for the hand of Zuhra, the daughter of the merchant of Kabul, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night