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 page taken from the manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The work is a painted page taken from the manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Executed as a single sheet, it presents a block of text rendered in black ink against a light brown ground, surrounded by ornamental borders and flourishes that emphasize the visual quality of the writing itself.
Subject & Meaning
The page belongs to a narrative collection, suggesting a story or fable involving a parrot. While the specific language of the script is not identified here, the decorative treatment indicates that the text was intended to be both read and admired as a visual object, reflecting a tradition where literary content and aesthetic presentation are intertwined.
Technique & Style
The artist employed ink on a prepared paper surface, applying the script with a fine brush or pen to achieve intricate, looping forms. The surrounding motifs consist of swirling lines and geometric shapes that frame the text, characteristic of manuscript illumination practices that blend calligraphy with ornamental design.
History & Provenance
Created as part of the Tuti‑nama manuscript tradition, the page likely originates from a region where illustrated storytelling was common, such as Central or South Asia. Its survival as a separate painted sheet suggests it was removed from a larger codex for study or display, though precise ownership history remains undocumented.
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