Lot Essay
The largest part of the manuscript from which this and the following lot comes is now in the Chester Beatty Library (Leach, L.: Mughal and other Indian Paintings from the Chester Beatty Library, London 1995, pp.22-74); it was broken up by a dealer in Paris in the 1930s and leaves are to be found in various Western collections. Another leaf from this manuscript of this subject was sold in these rooms July 11 1974, lot 51.
The Tuti Nameh concerns the efforts of a parrot to preserve the virtue of its mistress Khujista while her husband is away seeking his fortune. The parrot attempts, successfully, to dissuade her from thoughts of adultery by telling her humourous and moralistic stories on 52 successive nights, rather in the manner of Sheherazade. These stories were popular with the Emperor Akbar who commissioned at least two manuscripts; the other earlier manuscript of circa 1565 is now preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The Tuti Nameh concerns the efforts of a parrot to preserve the virtue of its mistress Khujista while her husband is away seeking his fortune. The parrot attempts, successfully, to dissuade her from thoughts of adultery by telling her humourous and moralistic stories on 52 successive nights, rather in the manner of Sheherazade. These stories were popular with the Emperor Akbar who commissioned at least two manuscripts; the other earlier manuscript of circa 1565 is now preserved in the Cleveland Museum of Art.