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. The object is a single leaf from the Persian manuscript known as the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single leaf from the Persian manuscript known as the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Rendered as a painted page, it features dense black calligraphic text set against a warm, yellowed paper background. A thin red line frames the margins, and minute specks of color interrupt the ink, suggesting either intentional decoration or later corrections.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains narrative prose from the Tuti‑nama, a collection of moral and romantic stories that circulated in the Islamic world from the 14th century onward. The dense script indicates a continuous passage, likely intended for private reading rather than public display, and reflects the manuscript’s role as a vehicle for ethical instruction and entertainment among elite audiences.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy is executed in a meticulous hand, each letter formed with consistent weight and fluid connections, characteristic of high‑quality Persian script such as Nastaʿlīq. The red border is painted with a fine brush, providing a subtle visual frame. Small colored specks, possibly pigment residues or ink corrections, add a faint, accidental texture to the otherwise monochrome surface.
History & Provenance
Although the precise date and origin of this leaf are not specified, the Tuti‑nama was widely copied in Persia and the Indian subcontinent between the 15th and 18th centuries. The page’s careful execution suggests it was produced for a patron of status. It now forms part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection of Persian illustrated manuscripts, where it is displayed alongside related folios.
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
