Artwork
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-second Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-second Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
A birdcage appears on the left side, and the façade behind them is rendered in red and white with elaborate decorative motifs.
The work, titled *The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty‑second Night, from a Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot)*, is a painted scene that shows two women positioned before a building under a clear blue sky. One figure wears an orange blouse with a patterned skirt, while the other is dressed in a pink top and a blue skirt. A birdcage appears on the left side, and the façade behind them is rendered in red and white with elaborate decorative motifs.
Subject & Meaning
The composition draws from the Persian literary tradition of the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of stories about a talking parrot. The two women likely represent characters involved in the narrative moment when the parrot begins to address Khujasta, a figure from the tale, suggesting a moment of dialogue and moral instruction within the story.
Technique & Style
Executed in a flat, decorative manner, the painting employs bright, saturated colours and patterned surfaces that echo miniature manuscript aesthetics. The architectural details are stylised rather than realistic, and the figures are rendered with simplified outlines, emphasizing ornamental design over naturalistic representation.
History & Provenance
The piece originates from a tradition of illustrated manuscripts that circulated in Persianate courts, where stories of the parrot were popular visual subjects. Specific details of its creation date, artist, or collection history are not documented in the available sources.
Artist & collection
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Nineteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-sixth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-ninth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twelfth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-fifth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-Fourth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Seventeenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Seventh Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-fourth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the fortieth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)