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 work is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama.
About this work
Overview
This work is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama. Rendered as a single sheet, the surface resembles aged paper with a warm, light‑brown ground, over which dense black calligraphy fills the space. Thin blue borders run along the margins, delineating the text area.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains a continuous block of narrative text, presented without accompanying illustrations. The emphasis lies on the literary content, reflecting the tradition of manuscript culture where the written story itself was considered a visual object worthy of artistic treatment.
Technique & Style
The artist employed a fine brush to execute the black script in tightly packed, orderly rows, each character rendered with deliberate precision. The background hue was applied in thin washes to simulate parchment, while the slender blue lines framing the edges were added with a contrasting pigment, creating a subtle visual restraint.
History & Provenance
The painted page originates from a Persian illustrated manuscript dating to the 16th‑17th century, a period when the Tuti‑nama was widely copied for courtly and private audiences. It now forms part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, which acquired it as part of its holdings of Islamic manuscripts.
Artist & collection











