The king’s emissary being provided with gifts for his mission to Rum in order to seek the hand of the emperor’s daughter in marriage, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night (c. 1560): Ar

The king’s emissary being provided with gifts for his mission to Rum in order to seek the hand of the emperor’s daughter in marriage, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night (c. 1560) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

In the background, the enthroned king addresses his emissary while members of his court collect wrapped bundles of goods. The king has conquered all surrounding lands and become indifferent as a result. His vizier suggests marriage to the princess of Rum, secretly hoping that the plan will spur the neglectful king to action.

Object facts

• Title: The king’s emissary being provided with gifts for his mission to Rum in order to seek the hand of the emperor’s daughter in marriage, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Fiftieth Night
• Date: c. 1560
• Culture: Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
• Type: Painting
• Technique: gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
• Dimensions: Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 10.3 x 10.5 cm (4 1/16 x 4 1/8 in.)
• Collection: Indian Art
• Department: Indian and Southeast Asian Art
• Accession number: 1962.279.317.a

A detail from the museum

The king’s attendant holds a flywhisk, called a chauri.

Collection credit

Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.