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

The calligraphy is executed in a refined, flowing hand characteristic of 17th‑century Persian scripts, with smooth connections between letters and consistent spacing. Ink, likely iron‑gall, provides a deep black contrast against the aged paper, while a narrow red pigment—possibly vermilion—frames the page, highlighting the manuscript’s decorative conventions.

Commissioned for a Safavid court patron, the manuscript remained in royal collections before entering the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings in the early 20th century. The museum acquired it through a purchase from a European dealer specializing in Islamic manuscripts, and it now forms part of the museum’s Persian literary corpus.

*Tales of a Parrot* belongs to a broader tradition of Persian illustrated books that combined poetic prose with moral instruction. Produced during a period of flourishing courtly patronage, such works were intended for elite audiences, reflecting both the literary tastes and the political aspirations of the Safavid elite.