The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

The guard spares the life of the slave when he learns that he is the son of the princess of the Rum, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night

The guard spares the life of the slave when he learns that he is the son of the princess of the Rum, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night

c. 1560
(reigned 1556–1605)
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 7.9 x 10 cm (3 1/8 x 3 15/16 in.)
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.321.b
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

The guard hides the princess’s son and does not reveal his identity to the king.

Description

The king, mistakenly believing that the princess’s secret son is her lover, orders him to be executed. The young man is shown with hands bound and long hair in disarray; his unraveled turban lies on the ground at his side. Just before the guard can behead him, the princess’s son reveals his true identity, and his life is spared.
  • ?–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.
  • Chandra, Pramod, and Daniel J. Ehnbom. The Cleveland Tuti-Nama Manuscript and the Origins of Mughal Painting. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1976. pp. 79, 148
  • {{cite web|title=The guard spares the life of the slave when he learns that he is the son of the princess of the Rum, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night|url=false|author=|year=c. 1560|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.279.321.b