The three young men present themselves as suitors for the hand of Zuhra, the daughter of the merchant of Kabul, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-fourth Night c. 1560 Part of a set. See all set records India, Mughal, Reign of Akbar, 16th century Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); Painting only: 16 x 10 cm (6 5/16 x 3 15/16 in.) Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.225.a DID YOU KNOW? Zuhra is also the name of the planet Venus. DESCRIPTION Above, two women listen as three suitors address the merchant of Kabul. Each hopes to prove himself worthy of marrying the merchant’s daughter, Zuhra. The first is skilled in divination; the second can bring carved wooden horses to life, and the third is a talented archer. Before Zuhra can select a husband, she is kidnapped by an evil fairy. PROVENANCE Estate of Breckenridge Long, Bowie, MD, 1959; Harry Burke Antiques, Philadelphia, PA; Bernard Brown, Milwaukee, WI; CITATIONS Nakhshabī, Z̤iyāʼ al-Dīn, and Muhammed Ahmed Simsar. Tales of a Parrot = The Cleveland Museum of Art's Ṭūṭīnāma. Cleveland: The Museum, 1978. p. 215