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 manuscript Tales of a Parrot, a narrative composed for Prince Salim.
About this work
History & Provenance
The painting is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under the accession number 1962.279.13.b. The work was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire and has been part of the museum's holdings since its acquisition.
Context
The page originates from a 1560 manuscript produced in the Mughal imperial workshop, reflecting the synthesis of Persian narrative traditions and Indian artistic sensibilities that characterized Mughal book arts. Attributed to an anonymous painter working within this context, the work exemplifies the stylistic refinement and cross-cultural storytelling prevalent in 16th-century Indian art. Its presence in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection underscores its significance as a representative artifact of Mughal manuscript painting, bridging regional artistic practices and imperial patronage during the empire's zenith.
Scholarly attention has focused on the manuscript's role in understanding Safavid-influenced narrative cycles transmitted into Indian visual culture, with recent studies emphasizing its contribution to the broader discourse on cross-cultural artistic exchange in early modern Eurasia.
Overview
A narrow blue margin frames the text, while scattered gold specks punctuate the background, and select lines are highlighted with blue underlining.
This illuminated page originates from the manuscript Tales of a Parrot, a narrative composed for Prince Salim. Executed as a painted sheet, the surface is a light brown ground covered with dense black calligraphy. A narrow blue margin frames the text, while scattered gold specks punctuate the background, and select lines are highlighted with blue underlining. The edges show signs of wear, suggesting age and handling.
Subject & Meaning
The text on the page forms part of a larger literary work that recounts the adventures of a talking parrot, a popular motif in Persian storytelling. Tailored for a princely audience, the narrative likely served both entertainment and moral instruction, reflecting courtly tastes and the patron’s personal interests in exotic tales.
Technique & Style
The page combines inked script with decorative painting. Black ink provides the primary narrative, while a thin blue border delineates the text block. Gold flecks, possibly applied as leaf or pigment, add a subtle ornamental quality.
The underlined passages in blue indicate emphasis, a visual strategy common in manuscript illumination to guide the reader’s attention.
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
Tuti-Nama (Tales of a Parrot)