The handmaiden appeals for justice and the prince is taken to the execution site for the fourth time, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night
Tara 2 (Indian, active 1550s-1590s)
1555–1565
- Medium
- gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
- Dimensions
- Painting only: 16.6 x 10 cm (6 9/16 x 3 15/16 in.); Overall: 20 x 14.4 cm (7 7/8 x 5 11/16 in.)
- Genre
- painting
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Tags
Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
About
Above, the enthroned king hears the appeal of the distressed handmaiden. Below, the bound and kneeling prince awaits his execution. Although the prince has been falsely accused of assaulting the handmaiden, he has taken a temporary vow of silence and is unable to defend himself. A vizier will stall the execution with a story about the dangers of women.