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 *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single leaf from the Persian manuscript known as the *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot). It consists of a page of text rendered in black ink on a light‑brown, likely paper, substrate. No illustrative imagery accompanies the script; the focus is entirely on the calligraphic composition.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains a passage from the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of moral and didactic stories traditionally attributed to a parrot narrator. The text’s content, though not transcribed here, would have conveyed ethical teachings or entertaining anecdotes typical of the work’s purpose as a literary guide.
Technique & Style
The script is executed in a highly ornamental hand, featuring elaborate flourishes, elongated strokes, and intricate curves that demonstrate the scribe’s proficiency. The ink is uniformly black, while faint horizontal guidelines and marginal marks indicate a hand‑made preparation of the writing surface.
History & Provenance
The page originates from an older Persian codex, though the precise date and place of production are not specified. Its survival as an isolated leaf suggests it was removed from a larger volume, possibly during collection or conservation processes.
Context
The *Tuti‑nama* belongs to a broader tradition of Persian moral literature that flourished from the medieval period onward. Such manuscripts were often produced for elite patrons, reflecting both literary taste and the high status of calligraphic art in Persian culture.
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
