The parrot mother cautions her young on the danger of playing with foxes - Dasavanta

A 16th-century Mughal miniature from the Tuti-nama, depicting a cautionary tale of a parrot mother and foxes.

This miniature painting originates from the Tuti-nama, or Tales of a Parrot, a collection of fifty-two stories told by a parrot to its owner over successive nights. The manuscript was commissioned during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. It reflects the synthesis of Persian artistic traditions with indigenous Indian styles, a hallmark of the early Mughal court atelier.

The composition depicts a moralising scene where a parrot mother warns her offspring about the predatory nature of foxes. The birds are positioned safely within the branches of a tree, while several foxes roam the ground below. The artist employs a flattened perspective, typical of the period, to organise the narrative elements clearly. The foliage is rendered with attention to individual leaf forms, and the animals are depicted with a degree of naturalism that balances the decorative requirements of the manuscript page.

Below the illustration, the Persian text provides the moral context for the visual narrative. The palette relies on earthy tones for the foxes and the ground, contrasted against the cool blues of the sky and the varied greens of the vegetation. The inclusion of gold highlights adds a refined quality to the work, consistent with the high status of the original manuscript. This piece offers a glimpse into the didactic literature and visual storytelling favoured by the Mughal elite during the sixteenth century. The work is attributed to Dasavanta, a painter who became a significant figure in the imperial workshop, known for his contribution to the development of the Mughal style through his engagement with both Persian and European artistic influences.