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 single leaf from a manuscript titled *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
This object is a single leaf from a manuscript titled *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). The page consists of densely written black ink script arranged in orderly lines across the surface, framed by a narrow red margin. The support is paper that has acquired a soft, aged patina, and the sheet contains no illustrative imagery, only the continuous text.
Subject & Meaning
The inscribed narrative belongs to a literary work composed for a young prince named Salim. The story, known as *Tales of a Parrot*, was intended as an instructional or entertainment text for the royal household, reflecting the courtly tradition of personalized manuscripts.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy displays a careful, uniform hand, suggesting a professional scribe’s involvement. Black iron‑gall ink fills the page in tight, regular columns, while a thin red pigment outlines the margins, providing a subtle decorative frame without disrupting the textual focus.
History & Provenance
The manuscript fragment originates from a South‑Asian courtly context, likely produced in the early modern period for the patron Salim. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed alongside comparable pages from the same codex, illustrating the broader practice of personalized royal literature.
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