Artwork
The astrologer predicts a calamity for the newly born prince in his thirteenth year, but one which he would be able to overcome, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The astrologer predicts a calamity for the newly born prince in his thirteenth year, but one which he would be able to overcome, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The painting illustrates a festive court scene taken from the eighth night of the *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot).
About this work
Overview
The painting illustrates a festive court scene taken from the eighth night of the *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot). A king seated on a gilded throne, scantily clad and holding a serving tray, is surrounded by musicians, dancers and onlookers in vivid garments. A scholar in yellow reads aloud, while a woman in orange spins, all set against a deep red curtain and a decorative striped border.
Subject & Meaning
The image visualizes a narrative episode in which an astrologer foretells a future calamity for a newborn prince when he reaches his thirteenth year, yet assures that the boy will ultimately triumph over it. The celebratory atmosphere, with music and dance, suggests the court’s attempt to ward off ill‑fortune through communal joy and ritualized storytelling.
Technique & Style
Executed in the miniature tradition of Persian‑influenced manuscript illumination, the work employs fine brushwork on paper, bright mineral pigments and gold leaf for the throne. Figures are rendered in profile with elongated limbs, while the crowded composition is organized through a flattened spatial plane, characteristic of courtly narrative painting.
History & Provenance
The miniature originates from a Persian or Mughal manuscript of the *Tuti‑nama*, a popular 14th‑century collection of moral tales. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through a mid‑20th‑century acquisition of South Asian manuscripts, where it now forms part of the museum’s Islamic art holdings.
Context
Courtly manuscripts such as this served both educational and decorative purposes, reinforcing dynastic legitimacy by linking rulers to prophetic wisdom. The scene reflects a cultural milieu in which astrology, literature and performance converged to articulate royal authority and communal resilience.
Artist & collection
The prince sent back to the place of execution for the sixth time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-third night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Thirteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-eighth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The prince, once reprieved, is returned to the palace of execution a second time on the plea of the king’s handmaiden, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-first night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The handmaiden again pleads for the death of the prince, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The prince being taken away for execution on the false complaint of the handmaiden, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Eighteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
Kaiwan sends a message of love to Khurshid, wife of his brother Utarid who is away on a journey, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night
The prince, with the help of Mukhlis who changes into a frog, recovers the ring lost in the sea, and returns it to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighteenth 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 Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-fifth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The merchant has the hateful skull ground and put into a box, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-third Night