Artwork

The young prince is crowned and the wicked handmaiden is executed, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night

The young prince is crowned and the wicked handmaiden is executed, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Suraju. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1560 by the Indian painter Suraju, this panel illustrates a moment from the eighth night of the Tuti‑nama, a collection of illustrated tales. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection. It portrays a ceremonial crowning of a young prince alongside the execution of a treacherous handmaiden, rendered in a vivid, narrative composition.

Subject & Meaning

The central action shows the newly crowned prince seated on a raised platform, attended by a figure in yellow, while a woman in red and white, identified as the condemned handmaiden, holds a fan above the scene. Below, a violent confrontation unfolds as one combatant lies slain beneath a sword‑wielding opponent, emphasizing themes of justice and retribution common to the story’s moral framework.

Technique & Style

Suraju employs a flat, decorative palette of bold reds, yellows, and greens, avoiding chiaroscuro in favor of a two‑dimensional surface that accentuates pattern over depth. Figures are outlined with precise lines, and the composition is crowded with ancillary characters—drummers, bag‑carriers, onlookers—creating a bustling narrative tableau typical of Mughal‑influenced manuscript painting.

History & Provenance

The panel entered the Cleveland Museum of Art through its early‑20th‑century acquisitions of South Asian works, though earlier ownership records are sparse. Its attribution to Suraju rests on stylistic analysis and comparative study with other signed pieces from the mid‑16th‑century Indian workshop tradition.

Context

The Tuti‑nama, or “Tales of a Parrot,” is a Persian‑origin story cycle adapted in the Indian subcontinent, often illustrated for elite patrons. This eighth‑night scene reflects the period’s interest in moralizing narratives and the cross‑cultural exchange between Persian literary motifs and Indian visual conventions.