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 *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single folio from the illustrated manuscript *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). Rendered on a sheet of paper that has acquired a warm, antiqued hue, the page is bordered by a thin red line and bears the marks of age, such as faint stains and tiny blemishes. The entire surface is filled with dense black calligraphy arranged in orderly rows.
Subject & Meaning
The script records a portion of the narrative *Tales of a Parrot*, a literary work composed for Prince Salim. The story, part of a broader tradition of courtly romance, employs the parrot as a symbolic voice that conveys moral lessons and courtly counsel, reflecting the patron’s interest in refined literary culture.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic hand is precise and deliberate, each character rendered with consistent pressure and spacing, indicating a highly skilled scribe. The black ink, applied with a fine brush, creates a uniform, flowing line that contrasts with the paper’s warm tone. The thin red border, likely added by the same workshop, frames the text without competing for visual attention.
History & Provenance
The folio originates from a Persian manuscript tradition and was produced for a royal patron in the early modern period. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is conserved as part of the museum’s Asian decorative arts holdings, providing scholars access to its material and textual qualities.
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
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