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

The page demonstrates meticulous pen work, with flowing black ink strokes rendered in a refined, decorative hand characteristic of courtly manuscripts. The thin red border, applied with pigment, delineates the text block, while the faint colored flecks suggest the use of mineral pigments applied sparingly for decorative effect.

Commissioned for Prince Salim, a member of the Safavid elite, the page illustrates the high value placed on illuminated books among aristocratic patrons. The manuscript later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Persian art holdings.

Produced during a period when Persian courts fostered a flourishing manuscript tradition, the Tuti‑nama combined literary sophistication with visual elegance. Such works were often created in royal workshops, employing skilled calligraphers and painters to satisfy the aesthetic and intellectual tastes of the nobility.