The donkey, in a tiger’s skin, reveals his identity by braying aloud, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-first Night by Basavana, c. 1560. gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.
The donkey, in a tiger’s skin, reveals his identity by braying aloud, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-first Night · Basavana · c. 1560 · Cleveland Museum of Art

The donkey, in a tiger’s skin, reveals his identity by braying aloud, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-first Night

Basavana

Year
c. 1560
Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Collection
Cleveland Museum of Art
License
Public Domain

A donkey disguised in a tiger’s skin is revealed by its bray. This scene is from the Tuti-nama, a collection of tales narrated by a parrot. Created around c. 1560 by Basavana. Mughal India, Akbar’s court.

The work employs gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper. It is part of a larger manuscript depicting tales within a frame of moral and ethical instruction.

Basavana was active in the late 16th century. His works are associated with the Mughal court, illustrating narratives with intricate detail.

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio https://clevelandart.org/art/1962.279.207.a

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