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

The surface combines pigment applied to a paper support, with the background color achieved through a yellow wash. The border’s red and blue hues are rendered in fine brushwork, framing the script without obscuring it. The calligraphic hand displays typical Persian miniature lettering, characterized by elegant, elongated strokes.

The leaf is part of a larger manuscript produced in the Persian cultural sphere, likely between the 16th and 18th centuries, when illustrated copies of the Tuti‑nama were popular. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art through acquisition, though the precise previous owners are not recorded in the available documentation.

Illustrated books such as the Tuti‑nama were used both for private devotion and for instruction in courtly settings. The presence of a decorative border and highlighted text reflects the manuscript’s dual function as a visual object and a didactic text, aligning with the broader tradition of Persian illustrated literature.