The parrot brings a fruit from the Tree of Life to the king of Syria, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Ninth Night c. 1560 Part of a set. See all set records Lalu India, Mughal, Reign of Akbar, 16th century Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper Painting only: 7.6 x 10.2 cm (3 x 4 in.); Overall: 20 x 14.4 cm (7 7/8 x 5 11/16 in.) Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.75.b DID YOU KNOW? Outside of this manuscript, only one other known work is attributed to the painter Lalu. DESCRIPTION A wise, green parrot perches on the hand of the king of Syria. Clutched in his beak is a small orange fruit that he plucked from a tree in the netherworld and brought back as a reward for many years of the king’s kindness. Despite being offered eternal life, the king is hesitant to eat the fruit. INSCRIPTION lālū INSCRIPTION TRANSLATION (by) Lalu PROVENANCE Estate of Breckenridge Long, Bowie, MD, 1959; Harry Burke Antiques, Philadelphia, PA; Bernard Brown, Milwaukee, WI; CITATIONS Chandra, Pramod, and Daniel J. Ehnbom. The Cleveland Tuti-Nama Manuscript and the Origins of Mughal Painting. [Cleveland]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1976. p. 107