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 illustrated manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
History & Provenance
As a textual folio, it forms part of the larger Tuti-nama manuscript, an illustrated cycle of Persian fables produced under early Mughal patronage.
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) is dated 1560 and was produced in the Mughal Empire by an unknown artist. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is recorded under accession number 1962.279.98.a. As a textual folio, it forms part of the larger Tuti-nama manuscript, an illustrated cycle of Persian fables produced under early Mughal patronage.
The museum's records confirm its presence in the collection, but no earlier ownership chain, commissioning details, or exhibition history are documented in the available sources.
Overview
This object is a painted page from the illustrated manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Executed in ink on a light‑colored paper, the page measures roughly the size of a standard folio and retains the patina of age that suggests centuries of handling.
Subject & Meaning
The text on the page narrates a segment of the Tales of a Parrot, a literary work commissioned for Prince Salim. The dense, flowing script reflects the courtly emphasis on literary elegance, while the story itself was intended to entertain and educate a youthful royal audience.
Technique & Style
Black ink is applied in tightly spaced, curvilinear strokes punctuated by decorative dots, creating a rhythmical line that follows the page margins. A slender red border encloses the composition, providing visual contrast against the beige ground. The calligraphic execution demonstrates the high level of skill prized by scribes of the period.
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