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

The text is rendered in a compact, linear hand that balances legibility with decorative precision. The paper’s surface bears a slight sheen, and the ink’s uniform darkness is interrupted by occasional ghostly dots and lines, suggesting the use of a fine reed pen and a traditional iron‑gall ink.

Created in the early modern period for a Mughal patron, the folio later entered collections of Persian manuscripts before being acquired by a Western museum. Its preservation on aged paper indicates careful handling over centuries.

*Tales of a Parrot* belongs to a genre of Persian courtly literature that combined moral instruction with entertainment. Such manuscripts were often lavishly illustrated, though this particular leaf focuses solely on the textual component, highlighting the value placed on the written word.