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 presents a single folio from the manuscript known as *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot).
About this work
Overview
A modest ornamental frame encloses the page, composed of fine lines and tiny geometric motifs, emphasizing the textual content without any illustrative imagery.
The work presents a single folio from the manuscript known as *Tuti‑nama* (Tales of a Parrot). Rendered as a painted reproduction, the sheet displays handwritten text in a cursive script resembling Arabic or Persian, set against a light‑brown parchment tone. A modest ornamental frame encloses the page, composed of fine lines and tiny geometric motifs, emphasizing the textual content without any illustrative imagery.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains narrative or didactic prose typical of the *Tuti‑nama* tradition, a collection of moral stories often conveyed through animal characters, particularly a parrot. The emphasis on calligraphic elegance suggests the text’s role as a vehicle for moral instruction as well as a display of literary culture.
Technique & Style
Executed in black ink, the script varies in size, with larger headings or initial letters distinguishing sections. The calligraphy follows the fluid, interconnected strokes characteristic of Persian‑influenced scripts, while the surrounding border employs delicate linear patterns that echo manuscript illumination practices without resorting to pictorial decoration.
History & Provenance
The original manuscript dates to the early modern period in the Persianate world, though the precise date of this painted copy is not specified. The work has entered museum collections through acquisition of manuscript fragments, reflecting the broader interest in Islamic book arts among Western institutions.
Context
Manuscript culture in the Islamic world prized the harmonious integration of text and ornament. The *Tuti‑nama* belonged to a genre of didactic literature that circulated widely, and its pages often served both educational and aesthetic functions, showcasing the scribe’s skill and the patron’s taste for refined literary objects.
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