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 Nightc. 1560 · Study 1962.279.97.a

Context from the museum

Many scholars consider the diminutive Tuti-nama to have been one of the first illustrated manuscripts made for Akbar, on which Indian artists worked with Persian masters to formulate a new style that their exacting emperor appreciated. The new Mughal style would be used to create the monumental Hamza-nama and hundreds of other Mughal manuscripts. There are many continuities between the Tuti-nama and the Hamza-nama , such as the image of a recumbent figure under a magnificent tree.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The body of the thief has been overpainted and repositioned.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for 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 is 10.4 cm wide and 10.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 4.1 × 4.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.99:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.01 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 3.5% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 144.8 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With 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 in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this near-square composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 10.4 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?