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. This object is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
This object is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Executed on paper, the surface is dominated by dense black ink calligraphy arranged in tight, looping rows, punctuated by occasional red dots. A subtle wash of pale blue‑gray watercolor provides a faint background texture, giving the page an aged, atmospheric quality.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains narrative text from the Tuti‑nama, a collection of moral and romantic stories traditionally illustrated for elite audiences. The red marks likely serve as textual cues—perhaps indicating verse divisions, emphasis, or marginal annotations—guiding the reader through the tale’s structure.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic script exemplifies a refined, cursive hand typical of Persian literary manuscripts of the late medieval period, rendered with a fine reed pen.
The calligraphic script exemplifies a refined, cursive hand typical of Persian literary manuscripts of the late medieval period, rendered with a fine reed pen. The ink is a deep, glossy black, while the red accents are applied with a pigment that contrasts sharply. The background wash, applied in diluted watercolor, creates a muted tonal field that softens the page without detracting from the script.
History & Provenance
The page originates from a hand‑copied copy of the Tuti‑nama, likely produced in a Persian workshop between the 15th and 17th centuries, when such illustrated manuscripts were popular among courtly patrons. The specific provenance of this leaf is not detailed, but similar examples have been collected by major institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, which holds comparable Persian manuscript pages.
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