Artwork

The queen of Rum watches the peahen prefer to burn rather than abandon her eggs while the peacock flees the nest, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-ninth Night

The queen of Rum watches the peahen prefer to burn rather than abandon her eggs while the peacock flees the nest, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-ninth 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 regal figure perched on an upper balcony, observing a fire that consumes a peahen refusing to abandon its clutch.

About this work

You see a queen on a palace balcony watching a peahen burn rather than leave her eggs, while the peacock flees.

You see a queen on a palace balcony watching a peahen burn rather than leave her eggs, while the peacock flees.

The story comes from a book of parrot tales told to Emperor Akbar’s court. The queen decides men are cowards and swears off marriage. Bright colors and tiny details show how much care went into each figure.

To see more paintings like this, look up Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605).

Overview

The work depicts a regal figure perched on an upper balcony, observing a fire that consumes a peahen refusing to abandon its clutch. Below, two female attendants watch the scene, while a peacock retreats from the blaze. The composition captures a moment of dramatic tension, rendered in vivid hues and intricate detailing characteristic of Mughal miniature painting.

Subject & Meaning

Derived from a tale in the Tuti‑nama, a collection of parrot stories presented to Emperor Akbar’s court, the narrative uses the peacock’s flight and the peahen’s sacrifice to symbolize male cowardice. The queen interprets the bird’s behavior as a sign of disloyalty among men, prompting her to renounce marriage and assert her independence.

Technique & Style

Executed in the Mughal miniature tradition, the painting employs bright, saturated pigments and fine brushwork to delineate elaborate costumes, architectural elements, and foliage. Minute ornamental motifs populate the scene, reflecting the high level of craftsmanship and the court’s patronage of detailed, narrative-driven visual art.

History & Provenance

The piece originates from the Mughal period (mid‑16th to early‑17th century) and is associated with the artistic productions of Emperor Akbar’s reign (1556–1605). It forms part of a manuscript illustrating the Tuti‑nama, a text that circulated among the imperial atelier and was copied for elite patrons.

Context

Mughal court painters often visualized literary and moral stories, integrating Persian artistic conventions with Indian motifs. This painting exemplifies that synthesis, situating a Persian‑inspired moral tale within a distinctly Indian royal setting, thereby reflecting the cultural hybridity of Akbar’s empire.