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

The calligraphic hand is meticulous and fluid, with tightly packed lines that fill the page from margin to margin. The black ink is applied with a fine brush, while the thin red border was added to delineate the text area, a common decorative element in Safavid‑era manuscripts.

The page originates from a manuscript produced for a high‑ranking patron in the early modern Persian world. Its survival on aged paper suggests it was preserved within a collection before entering a museum context, though specific ownership details beyond its dedication to Prince Salim are not recorded.

*Tuti‑nama* belongs to a tradition of Persian illustrated books that blend poetry, prose, and visual ornamentation. Such works were often commissioned by royalty to demonstrate cultural refinement and to provide moral instruction through entertaining narratives.

Pages like this illustrate the sophisticated calligraphic practices of Persian manuscript production and serve as primary sources for scholars studying courtly literature, artistic patronage, and the transmission of Persian storytelling across centuries.