The king of the Ocean, having assumed human form, arrives at the court of the Raja, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eleventh Night

Description

His hands raised in a gesture of respectful greeting, the Raja got down from his throne to welcome the king of the ocean, wearing a crown with white flowers. At the left, the Brahman holds a rosary in his hands. The raja wears the clothing and turban favored by Emperor Akbar: fine white muslin tunic with long points, pants, and a ready-tied flat turban. The king of the ocean is dressed like the Brahman, with a wrapped lower garment called a dhoti, and he wears a sacred thread over his left shoulder, which is the mark of a high-born Hindu.

Provenance

Estate of Breckinridge Long [1881–1958], Bowie, MD (?–1959); (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) (1959?–1962); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1962–)

The king of the Ocean, having assumed human form, arrives at the court of the Raja, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eleventh Night

Ghulam 'Ali

c. 1560

Accession Number

1962.279.92.a

Medium

gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper

Dimensions

Overall: 20 x 14.7 cm (7 7/8 x 5 13/16 in.); Painting only: 11.5 x 10.3 cm (4 1/2 x 4 1/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry