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
Lalu (Indian, active mid-1500s)
1555–1565
- Medium
- gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
- Dimensions
- 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.)
- Genre
- painting
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Tags
Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
About
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.
