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 folio from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single folio from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). It consists solely of handwritten text, occupying the entire surface of a warm, off‑white sheet of paper framed by a narrow red margin. The script is rendered in flowing black ink, arranged in orderly rows without any decorative imagery.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains a narrative passage from the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of moral and didactic stories traditionally transmitted in Persian literary culture. The text serves a didactic purpose, conveying ethical lessons through the allegorical figure of a parrot, a common motif in Persian storytelling.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy displays a cursive style characteristic of Persian or Arabic scripts, with subtle variations in line thickness that give the letters a lively rhythm. The ink is uniformly black, applied with a fine brush or reed pen, while the paper’s slight reddish border provides a modest visual frame without ornamental embellishment.
History & Provenance
The folio originates from a manuscript tradition that flourished in the Islamic world between the 14th and 17th centuries, when *Tuti‑nama* copies were produced for courtly and scholarly audiences. The specific sheet is now part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is preserved as an example of literary manuscript production.
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
