The magician disguised as a Brahman returns to claim his “daughter-in-law,” from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fifth Night

Executed in fine ink and watercolor on paper, the illustration employs delicate line work and a limited palette of reds, blues, and gold highlights. The figures are rendered in profile with stylised gestures, and the background pattern creates a sense of spatial depth while maintaining the flat decorative quality characteristic of Persian miniature painting.

The painting originates from a 16th‑century Persian Tuti‑nama manuscript, a popular literary genre that combined moral stories with elaborate visual commentary. The specific copy containing this illustration was part of a private collection before being acquired by a museum in the early 20th century, where it remains catalogued as a representative example of the genre.

Tuti‑namas were often produced for elite patrons, serving both as entertainment and as moral instruction. The narrative of a magician posing as a Brahman reflects the cultural exchange between Persian and Indian motifs, illustrating how storytellers blended local religious figures with universal themes of trickery and justice.