Artwork

The woman conversing with her children, as the leopard returns, egged on by a fox who is tied to his leg, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirtieth Night

The woman conversing with her children, as the leopard returns, egged on by a fox who is tied to his leg, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirtieth 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 illustrates a scene from the Tuti‑nama, a collection of parrot‑told stories popular in Mughal India.

About this work

The bright colors and busy scene were made for Emperor Akbar’s court, where artists mixed Persian and Indian styles.

You see a woman talking to her kids while a leopard creeps toward them, a fox tied to its leg urging it on.

This painting comes from a book of parrot tales told in Mughal India. The woman outsmarts the leopard twice—first by pretending to be a hyena in human form. The bright colors and busy scene were made for Emperor Akbar’s court, where artists mixed Persian and Indian styles.

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

Overview

The work illustrates a scene from the Tuti‑nama, a collection of parrot‑told stories popular in Mughal India. A mother is shown speaking to her children while a leopard stalks toward them, urged on by a fox whose leg is bound. The composition is dense and vivid, reflecting the courtly taste for narrative detail.

Subject & Meaning

The narrative depicts the second attempt of a leopard to seize the woman and her offspring. Earlier, the predator had been fooled by the woman’s claim that she was a hyena in human form. In this episode, a fox encourages the leopard, yet the woman again uses clever deception to protect her family.

Technique & Style

Executed in the richly coloured palette typical of Akbar’s atelier, the painting combines Persian miniature conventions—delicate line work and ornamental borders—with Indian elements such as naturalistic foliage and dynamic movement. The crowded scene and fine brushwork demonstrate the collaborative workshop practice of the period.

History & Provenance

Created for the imperial court of Emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), the piece formed part of a manuscript commissioned to celebrate the emperor’s patronage of the arts. The manuscript circulated among elite circles and later entered museum collections as a representative example of Mughal narrative painting.

Context

Mughal illustrators frequently adapted Persian literary models to Indian themes, producing hybrid visual narratives. The Tuti‑nama, with its moralistic animal tales, offered a vehicle for showcasing the court’s sophistication and the artists’ skill in rendering complex stories within a single frame.