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 Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot).
About this work
The paper looks old and slightly yellowed, with a few faint brown stains near the bottom.
This page is covered in neat, black Arabic script arranged in even lines. The edges are framed by a thin, reddish-brown border. The paper looks old and slightly yellowed, with a few faint brown stains near the bottom.
The text is likely from a storybook, given its orderly style. It was made for someone important, Prince Salim, around 1560.
Look up The Cleveland Museum of Art to see more pages like this.
Technique & Style
The leaf is a finely executed work on paper, painted in opaque watercolor and gold with delicate ink outlines. Formal qualities include a balanced composition of text and decorative border, a restrained color palette, and precise brushwork that emphasizes linearity and ornamental detail. The style reflects Mughal manuscript illumination with subtle Persian influences in its arabesque patterning, consistent with the illustrated Tuti-nama produced under imperial patronage.
History & Provenance
The text page is dated to 1560 and attributed to the Mughal Empire, placing its creation during the reign of Emperor Akbar, under whose patronage the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) was commissioned. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1962 (accession number 1962.279.53.b), forming part of a dispersed manuscript of the Tuti-nama. The work is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio.
Overview
This object is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as the Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot). Executed in the mid‑sixteenth century, it consists of a single sheet of paper bearing dense black Arabic calligraphy set within a narrow reddish‑brown margin. The surface shows the patina of age, with a yellowed tone and faint brown stains toward the lower edge.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains a continuous block of Arabic text, suggesting it is part of a narrative or didactic story. The Tuti‑nama is a collection of moral tales traditionally illustrated for courtly audiences, indicating the script likely conveys a moral lesson or anecdote intended for an educated reader.
Context
During the Safavid era, illustrated manuscripts such as the Tuti‑nama were produced for elite patrons, combining literary content with refined calligraphy and occasional illumination. The work reflects the cultural emphasis on moral instruction and the aesthetic standards of courtly book production in 16th‑century Persia.
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
