Artwork

The emir slays the snake after giving it shelter, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-fifth Night

The emir slays the snake after giving it shelter, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-fifth 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. This painting is one of forty-eight illustrations from the Tuti-nama, a manuscript commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar.

About this work

To see more work from this time, look up *Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)*.

You see a small painting split into two scenes: in the top, a man in orange talks to another man while a snake hides under his robe; in the bottom, the same man smashes the snake on the ground.

This is from a book of parrot tales made for Emperor Akbar’s court. The story warns about trusting the untrustworthy—even when you’ve shown kindness. The snake is tiny, almost missed, but it changes everything.

To see more work from this time, look up *Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)*.

Overview

This painting is one of forty-eight illustrations from the Tuti-nama, a manuscript commissioned by the Mughal emperor Akbar. It depicts a single fable across two sequential scenes, illustrating the consequences of misplaced trust. The narrative unfolds vertically: first, the emir offers shelter to a snake; later, he destroys it after discovering its intent to harm him. The work exemplifies the Mughal court’s interest in moral storytelling through visual art.

Subject & Meaning

The tale warns against extending kindness to those whose nature is inherently deceitful. The emir’s act of mercy is met with betrayal, and his swift retaliation underscores the moral that danger can lurk beneath apparent vulnerability. The snake’s near-invisibility in the upper scene heightens the tension, suggesting that threats are often concealed until it is too late to act.

Technique & Style

Executed in opaque watercolor and gold on paper, the painting uses fine brushwork to distinguish figures and subtle details. The two scenes are arranged vertically within a single frame, a common Mughal convention for sequential storytelling. The emir’s orange robe dominates the composition, framing the hidden snake and later serving as the stage for its destruction, guiding the viewer’s eye through the narrative.

History & Provenance

Created in the 1560s at Akbar’s imperial atelier, the Tuti-nama was among the earliest illustrated manuscripts produced under his patronage. It drew from a Persian literary tradition but was reimagined with Indian visual conventions. The manuscript was likely assembled by a team of artists, with this scene attributed to a master painter working in the imperial workshop, possibly under the supervision of Mir Sayyid Ali or Abd al-Samad.

Context

Akbar’s court fostered a vibrant culture of illustrated manuscripts that blended Persian, Indian, and Central Asian influences. The Tuti-nama, based on a 12th-century Arabic collection, was adapted to reflect Mughal values of governance and moral discernment. These stories served not only as entertainment but also as tools for instructing courtiers and heirs in the complexities of power and human nature.

Legacy

The Tuti-nama set a precedent for narrative illustration in Mughal art, influencing later imperial manuscripts such as the Akbarnama. Its integration of moral allegory with precise visual storytelling became a hallmark of the court’s artistic identity. Though the original manuscript is now dispersed, surviving folios remain key to understanding the development of early Mughal painting and its engagement with ethical themes.