Artwork Page for The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night

Details / Information for The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night

The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night

c. 1560

Lalu

(Indian, active mid-1500s)
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Culture
Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Measurements
Painting only: 7.6 x 10.2 cm (3 x 4 in.); Overall: 20 x 14.4 cm (7 7/8 x 5 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.75.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?

Outside of this manuscript, only one other known work is attributed to the painter Lalu.

Description

A wise, green parrot perches on the hand of the king of Syria. Clutched in his beak is a small orange fruit that he plucked from a tree in the netherworld and brought back as a reward for many years of the king’s kindness. Despite being offered eternal life, the king is hesitant to eat the fruit.
A book page features seven lines of Persian script in the upper half, ending with a blue word. Below, a painting depicts a man seated on an ornate platform holding a green parrot. To our left, two figures with light skin stand, one raising a white whisk. To our right, two men with tan skin kneel on a blue carpet beneath a striped canopy. The scene transitions from a red interior to a green landscape.

The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night

c. 1560

Lalu

(Indian, active mid-1500s)
Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)

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