Artwork

Mahrusa’s marriage to the prefect of the city, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-sixth Night

Mahrusa’s marriage to the prefect of the city, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-sixth Night is an unspecified painting by the Mughal Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work depicts a festive wedding gathering, populated by musicians, dancers and assorted guests who revel in the celebration.

About this work

Overview

The work depicts a festive wedding gathering, populated by musicians, dancers and assorted guests who revel in the celebration. Central to the composition are the bride, Mahrusa, and the city prefect, whose marriage is the focus of the scene.

Subject & Meaning

Mahrusa, previously spurned by the king, is shown contemplating his rejection even as she participates in her own nuptial ceremony with the prefect. The juxtaposition of personal disappointment with communal joy underscores the tension between private sorrow and public festivity.

Technique & Style

The painting employs a multi‑level arrangement, placing the celebratory figures in a lower register that allows the central wedding pair to dominate the upper space. Bright orange attire identifies the prefect, while the surrounding figures are rendered with lively gestures that convey movement and sound.

History & Provenance

The scene is taken from the thirty‑sixth night of the Tuti‑nama, a collection of Persian tales narrated by a parrot. The work belongs to a tradition of manuscript illustration that visualized literary episodes for a courtly audience.

Context

Within the broader narrative, Mahrusa’s marriage to the prefect follows her rejection by the monarch, reflecting themes of political alliance and personal agency common in medieval Persian storytelling.