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 page from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The object is a single page from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). It consists of densely set black calligraphic script on a light tan surface that resembles aged paper, bordered by a thin red strip. No pictorial elements accompany the text; the page functions purely as a written narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The script records a portion of the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of moral and didactic stories traditionally conveyed through the voice of a parrot. While the specific episode on this leaf is not identified, the work as a whole serves to impart ethical lessons and entertain through allegorical storytelling.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy is executed in a refined, legible hand that balances decorative flourish with clarity, typical of Persianate manuscript traditions. The background features a subtle stippled pattern, and the red marginal frame is applied with a fine brush, suggesting careful preservation and aesthetic consideration.
History & Provenance
The page is part of a larger codex that entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of manuscript culture. Details of its acquisition, including previous owners or the date of creation, are not provided in the source material.
Context
Manuscript pages such as this were produced in regions where Persian literary forms flourished, often for courtly or scholarly audiences. The *Tuti‑nama* belongs to a genre that blends storytelling with moral instruction, reflecting broader cultural practices of using animal narrators to convey human virtues.
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