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

The calligraphic hand is compact and highly controlled, with looping forms that interlace like vines, filling the surface without gaps. The black pigment, likely carbon‑based ink, is applied with a fine brush, while the thin red border—probably derived from vermilion—frames the composition, emphasizing the textual field.

Commissioned for Prince Salim, son of Emperor Akbar, the manuscript was produced in the late 16th century within the Mughal imperial workshops. The folio entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through a 20th‑century acquisition, joining other pages from the same codex held by the museum.

*Tales of a Parrot* belongs to a broader genre of Persianate courtly literature that blended prose, poetry, and illustration. Such works were often used for instruction and amusement among royal children, and their lavish production reflects the Mughal emphasis on artistic patronage and cultural synthesis.

The folio exemplifies the high level of calligraphic skill and manuscript decoration characteristic of Mughal court culture. Its preservation allows scholars to study the interplay of text and visual framing in Persianate literary traditions and informs contemporary understandings of early modern South Asian book arts.