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

Calligraphic work is rendered in a deliberate hand, with a mixture of connected and isolated letters that demonstrate the refined penmanship of a court scribe. The red border, painted with a thin brush, provides a subtle decorative contrast to the monochrome text, characteristic of Mughal manuscript aesthetics.

Commissioned for Prince Salim, the future Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605‑1627), the page exemplifies the patronage of literary arts within the Mughal imperial household. It later entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed alongside other pages from the same manuscript.

During the early 17th century, Mughal rulers cultivated Persian literary culture, integrating it into courtly education and entertainment. Manuscripts such as the *Tuti‑nama* were produced in workshops attached to the imperial atelier, reflecting the synthesis of Persian textual tradition with Indian artistic sensibilities.