Artwork

The merchant’s daughter gives birth to a son as a result of eating out of the box. The clever child recognizes the false gems from true, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-third Night

The merchant’s daughter gives birth to a son as a result of eating out of the box. The clever child recognizes the false gems from true, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-third 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.

About this work

You see a busy market scene: merchants in turbans wave fake jewels at a small boy who points to the real ones.

You see a busy market scene: merchants in turbans wave fake jewels at a small boy who points to the real ones. Behind them, a woman and her mother sit on a patterned carpet beside a strange wooden box.

The boy is no ordinary child. His mother ate from that box and gave birth without ever marrying. The story comes from a book of parrot tales read aloud in the court of Emperor Akbar.

If you like this mix of magic and daily life, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).

Overview

The painting portrays a bustling market where merchants in turbans display imitation jewels to a small boy who gestures toward authentic stones. To the side, a woman and her mother sit on a patterned carpet beside a wooden box that holds a mysterious skull. The scene combines everyday commerce with a supernatural narrative drawn from a Mughal court tale.

Subject & Meaning

At the center of the composition is a child described in the source story as a "child of fate," born to a virgin after she consumed remnants of a skull from the box. The boy’s discerning gesture—pointing out genuine gems—symbolizes wisdom and truth emerging from miraculous origins, contrasting with the merchants’ deceitful trade.

Technique & Style

Rendered in the detailed, miniature-like manner typical of Mughal court painting, the work employs fine brushwork and a rich palette to delineate textiles, jewelry, and architectural elements. The careful rendering of facial expressions and gestures conveys narrative nuance, while the flattened spatial arrangement reflects the Persian-influenced aesthetic of the period.

History & Provenance

The image illustrates a episode from the "Tuti-nama," a collection of parrot tales recited in Emperor Akbar’s court (1556–1605). Though the exact date of the painting is uncertain, its subject matter and stylistic traits align it with the late 16th‑early 17th‑century Mughal atelier that produced illustrated manuscripts for the imperial library.

Context

The narrative blends magical elements—such as a virgin mother and a skull that confers miraculous birth—with the ordinary setting of a market, reflecting the Mughal fascination with moral stories that juxtapose spiritual insight against material excess. Such works served both as entertainment and as didactic illustrations for courtly audiences.