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 object is a single folio from the medieval manuscript known as *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single folio from the medieval manuscript known as *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot). It consists of a light‑brown parchment page bearing black ink calligraphy, with selected words highlighted in gold leaf. A decorative frame of intricate vegetal and geometric motifs surrounds the text, and modest miniature illustrations are interspersed among the lines.
Subject & Meaning
The written portion contains a narrative or poetic passage, typical of the *tuti‑nama* tradition in which a parrot recounts stories of love, morality, or courtly intrigue. The gold‑highlighted words likely denote key terms or moral lessons intended to draw the reader’s attention.
Technique & Style
The script is rendered in a flowing, cursive hand characteristic of Persian or Arabic calligraphy of the period, executed with a reed pen. Gold leaf was applied to accentuate particular phrases, while the border design employs fine linear patterns and stylized foliage, reflecting the ornamental aesthetics of Islamic manuscript illumination.
History & Provenance
The folio originates from an early Islamic cultural sphere, where *tuti‑nama* texts were popular from the 13th to 16th centuries. The specific manuscript’s provenance is not recorded, but such pages were commonly produced in courtly workshops or major urban centers of Persia and the Indian subcontinent.
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
