Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page

Artists applied black ink on a light brown ground, arranging the text in orderly lines. Gold leaf or pigment highlights key terms, while a thin red border frames the composition. A small blue stamp, likely an administrative or workshop mark, appears near the lower margin, adding a layer of provenance to the visual design.

The manuscript was commissioned for Prince Salim, a member of the Persian royal family, and later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The blue stamp may denote a later ownership or cataloguing event before its acquisition by the museum.

Tuti‑nama, a popular 16th‑century Persian compilation of moral tales, was frequently produced for elite patrons. This page exemplifies the courtly practice of combining literary content with decorative illumination to enhance both aesthetic appeal and didactic function.