Artwork
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-seventh Night, form a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-seventh Night, form 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
The work depicts a woman on a balcony, her red blouse contrasting with a striped skirt, as she gestures upward toward a caged parrot suspended from a hook. A white cloth drapes over her left shoulder, and a low decorative wall frames the scene against a blue sky dotted with clouds. The composition emphasizes the interaction between the figure and the bird, creating a quiet, intimate moment.
Subject & Meaning
The figure appears to be addressing the parrot, perhaps reciting the opening of the twenty‑seventh night from the Persian narrative collection known as the Tuti‑nama, or "Tales of a Parrot." The gesture of pointing upward suggests a communicative act, linking human speech with the bird’s symbolic role as a messenger or storyteller within the literary tradition.
Technique & Style
Rendered in a balanced palette of vivid reds, muted stripes, and sky blues, the painting employs clear outlines and decorative motifs on the balcony wall. The suspended cage introduces a subtle sense of movement, while the flat background and stylized forms reflect a synthesis of courtly illustration and narrative painting typical of Persian manuscript art.
Context
The scene draws from a popular literary genre in which a parrot narrates moral tales to a human audience. Such illustrations were commonly included in illuminated manuscripts to accompany poetic recitations, situating the work within a broader tradition of visual storytelling that bridges literary and decorative arts.
Artist & collection
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 Twenty-sixth 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 Nineteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Thirtieth 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 thirty-eighth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the forty-third 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)