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

The script is executed in Nastaʿlīq, a Persian calligraphic hand that balances fluid cursive lines with angular accents. Ink is applied in uniform, tightly spaced lines, while occasional words appear larger or bolder, creating visual emphasis within the composition. The faint red border frames the text without detracting from the calligraphy.

The page originates from a manuscript produced in the Persianate world, likely between the 16th and 18th centuries, when Nastaʿlīq was the dominant literary script. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art through acquisition, though the precise chain of ownership prior to museum custody is not documented in the available record.

Tuti‑nama manuscripts were popular in Persian literary culture, often illustrated and circulated among elite patrons. The use of Nastaʿlīq reflects the aesthetic preferences of the period, when calligraphy was considered an art form equal to painting and poetry, and the manuscript would have been read aloud in courtly or scholarly settings.