Artwork
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. This work is a painted page from the illustrated manuscript known as the *Tuti‑nama* or *Tales of a Parrot*.
About this work
Overview
This work is a painted page from the illustrated manuscript known as the *Tuti‑nama* or *Tales of a Parrot*. Executed as a single sheet, the piece consists entirely of black calligraphic text set against a pale beige ground, filling the surface in a continuous, undulating rhythm that suggests the flow of water or wind.
Subject & Meaning
The inscription records a narrative from the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of moral and romantic stories popular in Persianate courts. The text was composed for Prince Salim, indicating a personalized commission that likely served both as literary entertainment and as a demonstration of the prince’s cultivated taste.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy is rendered in a meticulously balanced hand, with individual letters elongated or compressed to achieve a harmonious visual density. Small blue specks are interspersed among the black strokes, resembling scattered stars and adding a decorative counterpoint to the monochrome script.
History & Provenance
Created for Prince Salim, the page reflects the courtly patronage of manuscript production in the early modern Persian world. The work now resides in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed among other examples of Persian miniature painting and book arts.
Artist & collection
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page