Artwork
The goldsmith and the carpenter inform the king of a dream in which the golden images plan to desert the city for lack of worshippers, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Third Night
The goldsmith and the carpenter inform the king of a dream in which the golden images plan to desert the city for lack of worshippers, 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. The work depicts a narrative scene from the medieval Persian collection *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot).
About this work
Overview
In the upper register, two golden figures sit within a temple‑like enclosure, while a king reclines on a bed beneath a red canopy in the lower register.
The work depicts a narrative scene from the medieval Persian collection *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot). In the upper register, two golden figures sit within a temple‑like enclosure, while a king reclines on a bed beneath a red canopy in the lower register. Surrounding the monarch, five attendants in vivid robes gesture, point, and converse, one holding a fan and another indicating the golden images.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates the moment when a goldsmith and a carpenter inform the king of a dream in which the golden images—interpreted as divine statues—declare they will abandon the city because of insufficient worship. The warning underscores the importance of ritual devotion and the perceived power of sacred icons within the story.
Technique & Style
Executed in a flat, brightly colored palette, the composition relies on clear outlines and stylized figures rather than realistic modeling. The division into upper and lower registers, the use of decorative patterns on clothing, and the simplified architectural backdrop reflect a manuscript illustration aesthetic adapted to a painted format.
History & Provenance
The scene derives from the third night of the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of moral tales popular in the Islamic world from the 13th to 16th centuries. The painting’s provenance is not detailed in the source, but works of this type were often produced for courtly or religious patrons interested in didactic storytelling.
Context
The narrative aligns with broader Persian literary traditions that employ dream visions to convey ethical lessons. Golden statues as symbols of divine authority appear in other contemporary texts, linking the visual motif to themes of piety, patronage, and the consequences of neglecting sacred duties.
Artist & collection
The Raja’s son vows to sever his head and offer it to the image if he is united with the princess he has seen in the temple, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night
The rejuvenated old man and the daughter of the king of the jinns take leave of the King of Kings, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Seventh Night
The prince’s ordeal continues, he is ordered away to be executed for the fifth time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
Preparation for the marriage of Mahmuda to the Young Vizier, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-third Night
The handmaiden again appeals for justice and the prince is led to the place of execution for the third time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night