The eldest brother explains the reason for his youthful appearance, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Forty-ninth Night
Unknown Artist
c. 1560
Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
20.3 × 14 cm · painting only: 9.9 × 10 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry
Accession Number
1962.279.315.a
About this artwork
A king’s official sits conversing with the oldest of three brothers. Despite his advanced age, the man appears younger than all of his siblings. When asked, he explains that he has not aged because his life is free of anxiety: his farm yields abundant crops, and his wife is obedient and happy.