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 illuminated page originates from the Persian manuscript known as the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Subject & Meaning
In Mughal manuscript painting, the parrot functions as a symbolic messenger, embodying both oral tradition and the didactic purpose of the narrative.
The page illustrates a parrot recounting a moral tale, a recurring motif in the Tuti-nama that conveys lessons about wisdom and folly. In Mughal manuscript painting, the parrot functions as a symbolic messenger, embodying both oral tradition and the didactic purpose of the narrative. The text page from 1560, housed at the Cleveland Museum of Art, reflects the courtly context of the Mughal Empire where visual storytelling reinforced ethical instruction.
History & Provenance
The page is a text leaf from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) and is classified as a painting. According to the sources, it was created in 1560 in the Mughal Empire by an unknown artist. The work is presently held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is accessioned as 1962.279.164.b. The sources do not record any earlier owners, commissioning patron, or subsequent transfers before its entry into the museum's collection.
The work is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, inventoried as 1962.279.164.b. It entered the museum’s collection in 1962.
It has been exhibited as part of the museum’s holdings; a text page from the same manuscript (1962.279.164.a) was shown in the 2016 Cleveland Museum of Art exhibition “India’s Fabled City: Udaipur and Beyond,” held from April 3 to July 31, 2016.
Overview
This illuminated page originates from the Persian manuscript known as the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Executed in the early sixteenth century, the sheet is a painted work that functions as a textual illustration, intended for a princely patron.
Technique & Style
The text is rendered in black ink with tight, precise lettering arranged in orderly rows across a light, slightly yellowed paper. A slender red border frames the composition, and subtle variations in the ink convey a graceful, elegant script characteristic of Persian book arts.
Context
The Tuti‑nama was a popular moral tale in the Persian literary tradition, often copied for royal patrons. The manuscript’s production reflects the high value placed on calligraphic excellence and the integration of text and visual design in courtly culture.
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