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 single leaf from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
This object is a single leaf from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). The page consists of dense black calligraphy arranged in orderly rows, bordered by a thin red strip and an inner blue line. The support is aged paper, yellowed with time and bearing faint stains, indicating its historic use as a textual rather than pictorial surface.
Subject & Meaning
The script conveys a narrative drawn from the *Tuti‑nama*, a collection of moral and didactic stories traditionally recited to impart ethical lessons. The dense, precise lettering suggests a careful, contemplative reading, emphasizing the didactic purpose of the text rather than visual illustration.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy is executed in a uniform black ink, each character rendered with meticulous attention to proportion and spacing. The decorative borders—red outer edge and a narrower blue inner line—frame the text and reflect a modest ornamental practice common in Persian and South Asian manuscript traditions.
History & Provenance
The leaf originates from a manuscript produced in the early modern period, likely within the Persianate cultural sphere where *Tuti‑nama* copies were popular. The paper’s yellowed condition and staining pattern are consistent with centuries of storage, though the exact date, workshop, or patron remains undocumented.
Context
Manuscript culture in the region prized the transmission of moral tales through beautifully written texts, often accompanied by modest decorative elements. This page exemplifies the balance between textual clarity and subtle ornamentation that characterized many literary codices intended for private or instructional use.
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
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page