Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): Fourth night: The two cooks, who attempt to seduce the warrior’s loyal wife, are trapped by her in a cellar, c. 1560. This story is about how wives who wish to be faithful will remain so, despite any seduction. This woman’s husband was a soldier, and when he was away on duty for months at a time, his master, the king, was intrigued at his wife’s faithfulness, proven by a magical rose garland that remained eternally fresh. The king wished to test her by sending his two handsome cooks to visit her and attempt to lure her into adultery


Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): Fourth night: The two cooks, who attempt to seduce the warrior’s loyal wife, are trapped by her in a cellar, c. 1560. This story is about how wives who wish to be faithful will remain so, despite any seduction. This woman’s husband was a soldier, and when he was away on duty for months at a time, his master, the king, was intrigued at his wife’s faithfulness, proven by a magical rose garland that remained eternally fresh. The king wished to test her by sending his two handsome cooks to visit her and attempt to lure her into adultery. She tricked them into coming to her home and getting on a bed made of weak strings, positioned over a pit into which they fell. She kept them prisoner there until the king and her husband came to see what happened.


Size: 3374px × 5166px
Photo credit: © Heritage Art/Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1556-1605, akbar, art, cleveland, gold, gum, heritage, india, ink, mughal, museum, painting, paper, reign, tempera, unknown