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.
About this work
History & Provenance
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) is presently in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it bears the accession number 1962.
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) is presently in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it bears the accession number 1962.279.186.b. Its earlier ownership history is not recorded in the available sources. The work was produced in the Mughal Empire around 1560, as indicated by its inception date, and is attributed to an unknown artist; no specific commission is documented. It is classified as a painting and forms part of the illustrated manuscript tradition of the Tuti-nama.
The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art collection, listed under inventory number 1962.279.186.b. It was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire and has been exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The piece is catalogued as a page from the Tuti-nama, depicting a scene from the Tales of a Parrot.
Overview
This illuminated page, originating from the Persian manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama), presents a block of black ink calligraphy on a light tan vellum. The text is framed by a narrow red border, and the surface bears faint spots and smudges that testify to its age and handling.
Subject & Meaning
The narrative inscribed on the page belongs to a collection of stories composed for Prince Salim, a member of the Mughal court. The tale, conveyed through elegant script, was intended for leisurely reading, suggesting a personal, perhaps didactic, purpose within the royal household.
Technique & Style
The calligrapher employed a disciplined hand, producing uniformly spaced lines with occasional darker strokes that indicate deliberate emphasis. The red marginal line, applied with pigment, frames the composition and reflects the aesthetic conventions of Persian manuscript decoration in the early modern period.
Context
Tales of a Parrot is part of a broader tradition of courtly literature that blended moral instruction with entertainment for Mughal princes. The manuscript’s production coincides with a flourishing of Persian literary arts under imperial patronage, emphasizing refined calligraphy and modest ornamental framing.
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