The Story of the Talisman that Detects Insincerity as Told by the Princess of the White Pavilion

Description This illustration from Walters manuscript W.624 depicts the story told to Bahram Gur by the princess of the white pavilion. It is a tale of a king on a quest for a sincere woman to marry. He is given a talisman to help him in his search. The talisman laughs whenever a woman is insincere. In this image, the gold statue laughs as a woman pretends to faint. Below the image is inscribed 'amal-i (work of) Surdas Gujarati.

Exhibitions

• Pearls of the Parrot of India: The Emperor Akbar's Illustrated "Khamsa," 1597-1598. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 2005-2006.

Provenance Muhammad Zaki, 1241 AH/AD 1825-1826 [mode of acquisition unknown] [oval seal, fols. 1a, 211a]; 'abd al-raji Muhammad Shafi', 1247 AH/AD 1831-1832 [mode of acquisition unknown] [rectangular seal fols. 1a, 211a]; Muhammad 'Ali [date and mode of acquisition unknown] [large oval seal with no date on fol. 211a]; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters