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. The object is a single folio from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Overview
The page comprises black ink calligraphy set against a warm, yellow‑brown parchment that shows signs of age, such as discoloration, tears, and creases.
The object is a single folio from the illustrated manuscript known as *Tales of a Parrot* (Tuti‑nama). The page comprises black ink calligraphy set against a warm, yellow‑brown parchment that shows signs of age, such as discoloration, tears, and creases. A decorative border frames the text, and faint traces of red, blue, and yellow pigment accent the margins, indicating a once‑vibrant illumination.
Subject & Meaning
The manuscript presents a collection of moral stories traditionally narrated by a parrot, a common didactic device in Persian literary culture. The page’s text, written in a cursive script resembling Arabic or Persian, likely conveys one of these allegorical tales, using the parrot’s voice to impart ethical instruction to its audience.
Technique & Style
The calligrapher employed a fine, black ink brush to render flowing, highly ornamental letters, characterized by sweeping curves and intricate flourishes. The surrounding border features linear motifs and modest color washes of red, blue, and yellow, applied with a brush that leaves a slightly uneven, hand‑painted appearance typical of manuscript illumination in the early modern Islamic world.
History & Provenance
*Tales of a Parrot* was compiled and illustrated in the Persianate cultural sphere, possibly during the Safavid period when such narrative codices were popular among elite patrons. The specific folio has survived in a private collection, its condition reflecting centuries of handling and exposure, and it now serves as a representative example of Persian narrative art.
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
