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 folio from the medieval Persian manuscript *Tuti‑nama* (also known as *Tales of a Parrot*).
About this work
Overview
This object is a single folio from the medieval Persian manuscript *Tuti‑nama* (also known as *Tales of a Parrot*). The page is entirely covered with black ink in a flowing, curved Arabic script, filling the surface without illustration. The paper, now aged, shows a faint pinkish tint along its edges and minor stains near the lower margin, indicating its antiquity.
Subject & Meaning
The text on the folio forms part of a didactic narrative in which a parrot recounts moral stories to a king, a common literary device in Persian courtly literature. The content reflects the work’s purpose as an ethical guide, using animal allegory to convey virtues such as wisdom, justice, and humility to its royal audience.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy is executed in a precise, miniature script characterized by fine, elongated strokes and the strategic use of tiny diacritical dots that accentuate each letter. The uniform density of the text demonstrates a disciplined hand, typical of professional scribes in the Islamic world, who balanced legibility with aesthetic elegance on parchment or paper.
History & Provenance
The folio originates from a manuscript produced in the Persian cultural sphere during the medieval period, likely between the 13th and 15th centuries. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art through acquisition in the 20th century, where it is conserved as part of the museum’s holdings of Islamic manuscripts.
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