The prince, with the help of Mukhlis who changes into a frog, recovers the ring lost in the sea, and returns it to the king, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighteenth Night
Unknown Artist
c. 1560
Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Dimensions
20.3 × 14 cm · painting only: 7.5 × 10.4 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry
Accession Number
1962.279.135.b
About this artwork
The prince arrived at a royal capital, where he pledged to assist the local king in any tasks. One day, when fishing at sea, the king dropped a precious ring into the water. The prince asked his servant, the frog, to retrieve it. At the left, the prince respectfully returns the ring to the king on his throne. The frog is at the entrance of the walled harbor to the sea, where a boatman bails water. Lotus flowers have been painted among the swirling eddies.