Artwork

The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the fortieth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)

The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the fortieth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) 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

The parrot isn’t just a bird—it’s a storyteller, trying to keep the woman from sneaking out to meet her lover by telling her a tale of its own.

You see a woman in a red dress standing in a garden, talking to a bright green parrot perched on a branch.

This painting comes from a book of stories called the *Tuti-nama*, or *Tales of a Parrot*. The parrot isn’t just a bird—it’s a storyteller, trying to keep the woman from sneaking out to meet her lover by telling her a tale of its own. The garden feels alive, with flowers and trees framing the scene like a stage.

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Overview

The painting illustrates a moment from the *Tuti‑nama*, a narrative collection in which a bright‑green parrot addresses a woman named Khujasta as she prepares to depart for a secret nocturnal rendezvous. Set within a lush garden, the scene captures the parrot perched on a branch while Khujasta, dressed in a vivid red garment, listens to the bird’s admonition.

Subject & Meaning

Khujasta is halted by the parrot, which begins recounting the tale of Shahr‑Arai, a merchant’s wife from Nishapur who deceived her husband to pursue an affair. The parrot’s story functions as a moral counterpoint, warning against infidelity by presenting a parallel narrative of betrayal.

Technique & Style

Rendered with delicate brushwork, the composition balances rich, saturated colors—particularly the red of the woman's dress and the parrot’s emerald plumage—against a verdant garden backdrop. The setting is framed by stylized foliage that creates a theatrical space, characteristic of miniature painting traditions that emphasize narrative clarity.

Context

The work belongs to the *Tuti‑nama* tradition, a literary and visual genre popular in Mughal India during the reign of Akbar (1556–1605). Such illustrated manuscripts combined courtly poetry with moral instruction, often employing animal narrators to convey ethical lessons within an aristocratic setting.