Artwork
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-sixth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-sixth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1560 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work illustrates a female figure positioned before a domed structure, her orange garment contrasting with a long skirt.
About this work
Overview
The work illustrates a female figure positioned before a domed structure, her orange garment contrasting with a long skirt. She raises her right hand while clutching a dark object in her left. Above, a blue sky is traversed by birds, and the building’s balcony is defined by a railing, establishing a layered spatial composition.
Subject & Meaning
The scene likely derives from a narrative episode in a Tuti‑nama, a collection of parrot tales, wherein the parrot addresses a character named Khujasta during the twenty‑sixth night. The woman’s gesture and the held object suggest an interaction central to the story’s dialogue.
Technique & Style
The painter employs a clear delineation of forms, using bold orange against muted architectural tones to create depth. Linear perspective is suggested by the receding balcony and dome, while the sky’s blue field and silhouetted birds add atmospheric balance.
Context
Tuti‑nama illustrations traditionally blend Persian literary themes with regional visual motifs. The architectural elements—domed roof and balcony—reflect a cultural setting associated with the tale’s origin, situating the narrative within a recognizable domestic or ceremonial space.
Legacy
As an example of narrative painting linked to literary manuscripts, the piece demonstrates how visual art was used to complement and interpret storytelling traditions, informing contemporary understandings of cross‑media expression in the region’s artistic heritage.
Artist & collection
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Nineteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Thirteenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twelfth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-fifth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-Fourth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Eleventh Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-fourth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-third night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Twenty-third Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
The parrot addresses Khujasta at the beginning of the thirty-eighth night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)
Kaiwan sends a message of love to Khurshid, wife of his brother Utarid who is away on a journey, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-second Night
The king of Zabul sees Mahrusa from his palace balcony, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-sixth Night
The Parrot Addresses Khujasta at the Beginning of the Tenth Night, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot)