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. The work is a painted representation of a book page, showing a block of black script set against a light brown surface.
About this work
Overview
The work is a painted representation of a book page, showing a block of black script set against a light brown surface. Thin dividing lines separate the text into sections, while a decorative frame encloses the page, consisting of a narrow red band inside a broader gold border. The background includes subtle darker brown spots and stains, suggesting an aged material.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a textual page, likely extracted from a manuscript titled *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). The foreign language text and its organized layout indicate a narrative or instructional purpose, while the ornamental border underscores the cultural value placed on the written word within the manuscript tradition.
Technique & Style
Executed with pigment on a flat support, the artist rendered the script in matte black ink, contrasting with the warm, earthy ground. The border combines a thin vermilion line and a wider gilded edge, reflecting the decorative conventions of the period’s manuscript illumination. The presence of natural discolorations suggests an intentional simulation of aged paper.
History & Provenance
The painted page originates from a larger illustrated codex known as *Tales of a Parrot*, a work produced in the region where the Tuti‑nama tradition flourished. It entered the museum collection through a mid‑20th‑century acquisition from a private collector specializing in South Asian manuscripts.
Context
During the era of its creation, book illustration merged literary and visual arts, with elaborate borders signifying the prestige of the text. The use of gold and red in the frame aligns with contemporary aesthetic preferences for luxury and ceremonial presentation in manuscript culture.
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