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 page from the manuscript *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single page from the manuscript *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). Rendered on warm‑toned paper, the surface is entirely occupied by dense black calligraphy arranged in tight, orderly rows. A thin red border frames the page, and no illustrative imagery accompanies the text.
Subject & Meaning
The inscribed narrative was composed for a princely patron named Salim, presenting a collection of stories centered on a parrot. The text functions both as literary entertainment and as a didactic vehicle, reflecting the courtly taste for moralized animal tales in the period of its creation.
Technique & Style
The script displays a precise hand, characterized by uniform strokes, small decorative dots, and subtle curvature that guide the reader’s eye vertically. The calligraphic style aligns with the formal, legible scripts employed in elite manuscript production, emphasizing clarity and aesthetic balance over ornamental illustration.
History & Provenance
Although the original manuscript’s full provenance is not detailed, the page is identified as part of a larger illustrated codex traditionally associated with Persian literary culture. It has been catalogued by institutions such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, which holds comparable examples of the same manuscript series.
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
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page