The goldsmith judged; the bear cubs trained by the carpenter as though they were his sons, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Third Night, c. 1560
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The goldsmith judged; the bear cubs trained by the carpenter as though they were his sons, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Third Night

c. 1560

Medium
gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Classification
Painting
Dimensions
Painting only: 10.2 x 10.5 cm (4 x 4 1/8 in.); Overall: 20 x 13.7 cm (7 7/8 x 5 3/8 in.)
Culture
Mughal India, court of Akbar (reigned 1556–1605)
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art, Indian and Southeast Asian Art
Credit line
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry
Rights
Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
Who can see it
Kids profiles and older: it shows nature, places, still life or a children's book. How works are placed

View at the Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

In the upper-left corner, the goldsmith and the carpenter have dinner with their wives and children. The greedy goldsmith has robbed the carpenter who, in revenge, abducts the goldsmith’s sons and replaces them with two bear cubs. Below, the bears rub their faces against the goldsmith’s sleeves, proving to the judge that they must be the man’s transformed children.