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. This illuminated page originates from the manuscript *Tales of a Parrot*, a narrative composed for Prince Salim.
About this work
Overview
A narrow blue margin frames the text, while scattered gold specks punctuate the background, and select lines are highlighted with blue underlining.
This illuminated page originates from the manuscript *Tales of a Parrot*, a narrative composed for Prince Salim. Executed as a painted sheet, the surface is a light brown ground covered with dense black calligraphy. A narrow blue margin frames the text, while scattered gold specks punctuate the background, and select lines are highlighted with blue underlining. The edges show signs of wear, suggesting age and handling.
Subject & Meaning
The text on the page forms part of a larger literary work that recounts the adventures of a talking parrot, a popular motif in Persian storytelling. Tailored for a princely audience, the narrative likely served both entertainment and moral instruction, reflecting courtly tastes and the patron’s personal interests in exotic tales.
Technique & Style
The page combines inked script with decorative painting. Black ink provides the primary narrative, while a thin blue border delineates the text block. Gold flecks, possibly applied as leaf or pigment, add a subtle ornamental quality. The underlined passages in blue indicate emphasis, a visual strategy common in manuscript illumination to guide the reader’s attention.
History & Provenance
Created for Prince Salim, the manuscript was later separated into individual leaves, one of which entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The presence of gold specks may represent later repairs or decorative additions, hinting at the page’s conservation history before its acquisition by the museum.
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
