The Brahman’s predicament is conveyed by the wind to the fish who carries the news to the king of the Ocean, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eleventh Night
Unknown Artist
c. 1560
Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
20.3 × 14 cm · painting only: 8.3 × 10.2 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry
Accession Number
1962.279.89.a
About this artwork
A Brahman stands on a sandy beach prayerfully calling out for help to send a message to the king of the ocean. His own raja (sovereign) had sent him on pain of death to bring the king of the ocean to the Raja’s son’s wedding in three days. In the text, the wind brings the Brahman’s message to the ocean, and the fish, hearing it, take the news of the wedding invitation to their king. The swirling eddies and foamy shore suggest the presence of wind. Besides fish, a crocodile, sea snake, frog, and ...