"The Man who Pretends to be Asleep While the Thief Enters his House Becomes Drowsy and Really Falls Asleep", Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna
Unknown Artist
second quarter 16th century
Medium
Opaque watercolor on paper
Dimensions
Overall: H. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm) W. 8 7/8 in. (22.6 cm) Average text size: H. 8 5/8 in. (21.9 cm) W. 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
Classification
Codices
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection, Gift of Alice Heeramaneck, 1981
Accession Number
1981.373.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant folio from a *Kalila wa Dimna* manuscript, titled *"The Man who Pretends be Asleep While the Enters his House Be Drowsy and Really Asleep,"* dates to the second quarter of 16th century. hails from the rich tradition of Persian illuminated manuscripts in the Islamic world, where the ancient fables of *Kalila wa Dim*—originally Indian tales akin to Aesop's—were lavishly illustrated to convey moral lessons. These stories, translated into Arabic and Persian centuries earlier, were beloved for teaching wisdom through animal and human anecdotes, blending entertainment with ethical guida...