Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page

The miniature depicting a page from the Tuti-nama was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire and is attributed to an unknown artist. It belongs to the Cleveland Museum of Art collection (accession 1962.279.270.a) and is classified as a painting. The work exemplifies Mughal artistic production of the mid-sixteenth century.

Provenance and ownership are tied to the museum's acquisition, with no further documented chain of ownership noted in the sources.

The painting is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection and is catalogued under inventory number 1962.279.270.a. It was created in 1560 in the Mughal Empire and has not been recorded in any exhibition history according to the available sources.

The miniature originates from the Mughal imperial atelier during Akbar's reign, reflecting the synthesis of Persian manuscript traditions with Indian court aesthetics in the mid-16th century. Attributed to an anonymous workshop, it appears in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection (1962.279.270.a) and was cataloged as a painting dated 1560. Scholars interpret its narrative function within the Tuti-nama moral tales as exemplifying how illustrated texts mediated didactic storytelling in aristocratic circles, a practice later influential in European orientalist scholarship.

Its stylistic analysis situates it within the broader trajectory of South Asian miniature painting, where text and image merge to convey layered moral lessons, a context that informed later studies of cross-cultural artistic exchange in early modern Eurasia.

This illuminated page belongs to the Persian manuscript known as the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Executed around 1560, it was created as a luxury presentation copy for Prince Salim, a member of the Mughal court. The sheet functions as a textual illustration rather than a conventional painted scene, showcasing the refined calligraphic art of the period.

Written on a soft, tan‑hued paper that bears faint brown stains reminiscent of tea, the calligrapher employed a flowing, cursive hand typical of 16th‑century Persian court manuscripts. A thin red border frames the page, providing a subtle decorative element that delineates the text area without overwhelming the script.

The page illustrates the high value placed on calligraphic excellence in Mughal court culture, influencing subsequent manuscript production across the empire. Its preservation in a major museum allows scholars to study the material qualities of Mughal paper, ink, and decorative borders, contributing to broader understandings of South Asian book arts.