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 object is a painted page from the manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
History & Provenance
The available records confirm its location and inventory details but do not list specific past exhibitions or further provenance history.
Created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, this text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) was produced by an unidentified artist. The work entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.30.b. The museum's records indicate the piece was acquired in 1962, establishing its modern provenance. While the specific commissioner and the full chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition remain undocumented in the available records, the work is firmly dated to the mid-sixteenth century based on institutional attribution.
This text page from the Tuti-nama is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The institution assigns the work the accession number 1962.279.30.b. Created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, the piece is classified as a painting by an unknown artist. The available records confirm its location and inventory details but do not list specific past exhibitions or further provenance history.
Context
The work belongs to the Mughal painting tradition of 16th-century India, reflecting the cultural milieu of the Mughal Empire during Akbar's reign when Persianate storytelling conventions were adapted into Indian artistic practice. Its creation in 1560 represents a period of cross-cultural exchange between Persian manuscript traditions and local Indian aesthetics, as evidenced by the Tuti-nama narrative cycle commissioned for imperial workshops. The piece demonstrates how narrative paintings functioned as vehicles for moral instruction through illustrated texts within royal court contexts.
Scholarly attention focuses on its role within the broader corpus of Mughal manuscript illumination, particularly how such works facilitated the transmission of Sufi-inspired fables through visual storytelling. The artist's anonymous status underscores the collaborative workshop environment characteristic of Mughal artistic production, where individual contributions were subsumed under collective imperial patronage rather than celebrated as singular achievements.
Overview
The object is a painted page from the manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). It consists of a single folio on which a substantial block of text occupies most of the surface. The script is rendered in black ink, with occasional passages highlighted in blue, set against a warm, beige background that shows age‑related discolorations and stains.
Subject & Meaning
The page presents a narrative written in a foreign language, likely Persian, as the Tuti‑nama is a collection of moral stories featuring a talking parrot. The highlighted sections may indicate key moral lessons or passages intended for emphasis, reflecting the didactic purpose of the work within its cultural context.
Technique & Style
The calligraphy is executed in a flowing, cursive hand, characteristic of Persian manuscript traditions, and is embellished with decorative flourishes that enhance its visual elegance. The use of blue ink for emphasis follows a common practice in Islamic book art, while the painted background, with its muted beige tone and subtle staining, suggests an aged vellum or paper support.
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
