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 object is a painted page taken from the Persian narrative work *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
This object is a painted page taken from the Persian narrative work *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). The surface consists of a light brown paper sheet framed by a thin red margin. Across the page runs dense black calligraphy organized into tidy rectangular blocks, forming the story’s text.
Subject & Meaning
The script conveys the literary content of the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of moral and entertaining anecdotes traditionally illustrated for courtly audiences. The page functions as a textual fragment rather than a visual illustration, emphasizing the literary art of Persian prose and poetry.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic hand is executed in a controlled, elegant style, with slightly curved lines that balance precision and fluidity. Ink application varies subtly, producing darker and lighter strokes that suggest careful brushwork on a prepared paper support, while the red border was added with a thin pigment wash.
History & Provenance
The page originates from a manuscript tradition that flourished in the Islamic world between the 14th and 17th centuries, when *Tales of a Parrot* was widely copied for elite patrons. Specific ownership details for this sheet are not recorded, but its material and script align with typical Safavid‑era production.
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