The deceitful wife assaults her erring husband, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Eighth Night by Tara

"The deceitful wife assaults her erring husband", from the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), by Tara; commissioned by Akbar in 1560 in his 'karkhana', is a finely detailed gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper painting. It is a part of the famous Tuti-nama manuscript, an early Mughal miniature: a collection of morally edifying stories from Persia, which is said to have been narrated to a woman by a parrot, to keep her from committing adultery. The painting shows a tumultuous domestic scene: the wife of the merchant attacks him furiously upon seeing him enter the house of ill repute as a cover for her own crime. This painting is a powerful example of an early Mughal miniature by one of the first Indian artists to enter the karkhana of Akbar; blending the Persian compositional space and narrative flow with a burgeoning Indian realism through gestural expression, an over-crowded space, and highly expressive figures. With a setting of architecture, ornate textiles, and the stillness of night, it is an example of the multicultural, cross-fertilized imperial court culture of 16th-century India. By illustrating the entire scene with additional observers of the spectacle, it also comments on how shame played a large role in the ethical judgment of the era of Indo-Persian culture. The image is of great importance on a philosophical level, as it continues the themes of illusion, persuasive argument, and uncertainty of the truth. It shows that the Tuti-nama is not an image of clear-cut morality; instead, a commentary on the inner lives and complexities of individuals, which made Mughal painting such an effective illustration of its literary sources.