Artwork Page for The handmaiden again appeals for justice and the prince is led to the place of execution for the third time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night

Details / Information for The handmaiden again appeals for justice and the prince is led to the place of execution for the third time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night

The handmaiden again appeals for justice and the prince is led to the place of execution for the third time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night

c. 1560

Gujarati

(Indian, active 1550s-1590s)
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Culture
Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Painting only: 12.1 x 9.9 cm (4 3/4 x 3 7/8 in.); Overall: 20 x 13.4 cm (7 7/8 x 5 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.61.b
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

A stake has been erected for the display of the prince’s severed head.

Description

In the upper register, the king’s handmaiden appears at the court to once again ask that the young prince be executed. Having taken a temporary vow of silence, the prince is unable to defend himself. He kneels with his hands bound awaiting execution. For the third time, one of the king’s viziers will step in to stall the execution.
A vertically oriented tempera painting depicts narrative scenes framed by Persian script. Above, a man sits on a blue cushion under an orange canopy, gesturing toward a kneeling man and woman on our left. Below, on a green field, a man kneels with joined hands before a dark-skinned guard standing on our right with a sword and circular shield. The figures have light and dark skin tones. Patterned backgrounds and text panels border the scenes.

The handmaiden again appeals for justice and the prince is led to the place of execution for the third time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night

c. 1560

Gujarati

(Indian, active 1550s-1590s)
Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)

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