Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page

The page is written in a smooth, cursive script rendered in black ink, with occasional blue highlights. The composition is organized into rectangular boxes, creating a clear visual hierarchy; larger sections at the bottom accommodate longer passages, while smaller boxes contain brief verses or annotations.

The manuscript was produced in the early modern period for Prince Salim, likely within a royal workshop. Several other folios from the same codex are now part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection, indicating the museum acquired a substantial portion of the original volume.

*Tales of a Parrot* reflects a tradition of moral storytelling that flourished in Safavid Persia, where illustrated books served both educational and entertainment purposes for elite audiences. The use of colored ink for emphasis aligns with contemporary practices of visual rhetoric in manuscript culture.