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 work consists of a single leaf from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The text page depicts a parrot within a narrative scene drawn from the Tuti-nama, a Persian moral tale popular in Mughal courts.
The text page depicts a parrot within a narrative scene drawn from the Tuti-nama, a Persian moral tale popular in Mughal courts. The bird functions as a symbolic messenger, embodying wit and didactic instruction, while its presence in a painted manuscript underscores the fusion of literary and visual art in 16th‑century Persianate culture. The work originates from the Mughal Empire and is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, reflecting the transregional transmission of manuscript illumination techniques.
Technique & Style
The page is a miniature painted on paper with ink and pigment, created as part of a manuscript illustration. Executed in the mid-16th century during the Mughal period, the work employs fine brushwork and delicate color washes to frame the text, reflecting the stylized narrative tradition of Persian miniature painting. The support is paper, handled as a flat, unvarnished sheet typical of manuscript production, and the condition remains stable with only minor aging of the pigments.
Stylistically, the composition balances intricate patterning with clear figural outlines, characteristic of courtly manuscript illumination from that era.
History & Provenance
This text page from the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire. The work is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.93.a. While the specific patron who commissioned the manuscript and the individual scribe responsible for this folio remain unidentified in available records, the date of inception is firmly established as 1560.
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama), created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.93.a. No specific exhibition history is provided in the available records for this particular sheet.
Overview
The work consists of a single leaf from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Rendered as a painted page, it displays black calligraphic text set against a light‑tan vellum background, framed by a narrow decorative border. The surface shows signs of age, including slight discoloration and wear, indicating its historic origin.
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
