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

The calligraphy is executed in a neat, cursive hand characteristic of 16th‑century Persian manuscript production, with diacritical marks—small dots and lines—added above or below letters to clarify pronunciation. The use of a thin blue border reflects a decorative practice that frames the text without overwhelming the script, while the paper’s warm tone suggests a high‑quality rag stock.

The folio is catalogued under the reference 62.279/47, indicating its accession within a museum collection, specifically the Cleveland Museum of Art. Its provenance traces back to the original *Tuti‑nama* manuscript, a celebrated work that circulated among elite courts in the Safavid period before entering Western collections during the 19th‑century antiquities market.

*Tuti‑nama* belongs to a tradition of Persian illustrated books that blend poetic prose with moral instruction. Although this page contains only text, it would have originally been accompanied by miniature paintings that visualized the parrot’s dialogues, situating the manuscript within the broader cultural practice of didactic storytelling in early modern Iran.