The young man of Baghdad reveals his true identity to the Hashimi, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot: Forty-eighth Night

c. 1560

The young man of Baghdad reveals his true identity to the Hashimi, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot: Forty-eighth Night, c. 1560. Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605). Opaque watercolor, ink, and gold on paper; overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.); painting only: 10.7 x 10.2 cm (4 3/16 x 4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.308.b At the front of the ship, the young man calls out to the Hashimi, who sits beside the weeping slave girl. Despite their love, the destitute young man had been forced to sell the girl. She is overjoyed to see her long-lost lover and begins to sing so beautifully that the birds, fish, and the ocean itself join in the celebration. Two black fish are visible in the swirling waters of the ocean.