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 sheet from the manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single sheet from the manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). It consists of a page of handwritten text rendered in a compact, flowing blue script, bordered by a thin red line. The support is paper that shows signs of age, including a yellowed edge and faint stains, indicating considerable antiquity.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains narrative material from the *Tales of a Parrot*, a literary work originating in Southeast Asia. The story, traditionally transmitted in verse, recounts moral and didactic episodes involving a parrot as a storyteller, reflecting the region’s cultural values and oral traditions.
Technique & Style
The script is executed in a uniform blue ink, applied with a brush or pen that allows for smooth, continuous strokes. The tight horizontal arrangement maximizes the use of space, while the red border serves both decorative and functional purposes, delineating the text block and guiding the reader's eye across the page.
History & Provenance
The manuscript page is an artifact of historical Southeast Asian book production, likely dating from the pre‑colonial period when such texts were copied by hand for circulation among literate elites. Its present location is recorded in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is conserved alongside other regional works.
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 (blank)
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 (blank)
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 (blank)
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page