The street cleaner, on his way to meet King Bhojaraja, sleeps under a tree where four thieves disguised as fellow travelers deprive him of a priceless pearl, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twelfth Night c. 1560 Part of a set. See all set records India, Mughal court, reign of Akbar (1556-1605), 16th century Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 10.5 x 10.4 cm (4 1/8 x 4 1/8 in.) Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.97.a DID YOU KNOW? The body of the thief has been overpainted and repositioned. DESCRIPTION Paintings like this reveal how the artists of the Tuti-nama appear to have freely experimented with techniques to make Persian and Indian styles more lively and natural to accord with the taste of their patron, the young Emperor Akbar. Grasses highlighted in yellow impressionistic sprays fill the ground under the magnificent banyan tree. Its trunk is encrusted with a network of aerial roots; the foliage has both green-veined leaves with yellow rims, and freshly sprouted pink sprigs. The streetcleaner, in the blue tunic, had come across a pearl of such high quality that no jeweler knew how much it was worth. So he decided to visit the king to see if he would buy it. On the way he fell in with four other travelers who robbed him of the pearl while he was sleeping. PROVENANCE Estate of Breckenridge Long, Bowie, MD, 1959; Harry Burke Antiques, Philadelphia, PA; Bernard Brown, Milwaukee, WI; EXHIBITION HISTORY Indian Miniature Rotation (Gallery 115); August 13, 2003 - February 18, 2004. Indian Minature Rotation (Gallery 115); August 18, 2004 - May 23, 2005. Main Gallery Rotation (gallery 245): April 28, 2015 - November 2, 2015.