The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

The monkey advises the suspicious lion to cast off fear and take possession of his territory, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-ninth Night

The monkey advises the suspicious lion to cast off fear and take possession of his territory, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-ninth Night

c. 1560
(reigned 1556–1605)
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Painting only: 9.9 x 10 cm (3 7/8 x 3 15/16 in.); Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.196.a
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The lynx family, unseen by the lion, appear on the right.

Description

The monkey, acting as the lion’s chamberlain, encourages him to confront the family of lynx that have taken over his home. However, the lion is fearful, having been tricked into believing that the hidden lynx are vicious, lion-eating creatures.
  • ?–1959
    Estate of Breckinridge Long [1881–1958], Bowie, MD
    1959–1962?
    (Harry Burke Antiques, Philadelphia, PA)
    1959?–1962
    (Bernard Brown Agency, Milwaukee, WI, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Purchased with funds from Mrs. A. Dean [Helen Wade Greene] Perry)
    1962–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    Provenance Footnotes
    1 Samuel Miller Breckinridge Long (May 16, 1881–September 26, 1958) was an American diplomat and politician, who served in the administrations of Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Long is largely remembered for his obstructionist role as the Assistant Secretary of State responsible for granting refugee visas during World War II. His interests included the collection of antiques, paintings and American ship models. He maintained a stable of Thoroughbred race horses and was a director of the Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland, and he enjoyed fox hunting, fishing, and sailing.
  • Seyller, John. “Overpainting in the Cleveland T̤ūtīnāma.” Artibus Asiae 52, no. 3/4 (1992): 283-318. p. 317 www.jstor.org
  • Main Gallery Rotation (Gallery 242B): April 6, 2016 -
    Indian Miniature Rotation (Gallery 115); February 20 - August 18, 2004.
    Indian Miniature Rotation (Gallery 115); February 4 - August 5, 2003.
  • {{cite web|title=The monkey advises the suspicious lion to cast off fear and take possession of his territory, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twenty-ninth Night|url=false|author=|year=c. 1560|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.279.196.a