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 object is a painted page from the illustrated manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
History & Provenance
Created circa 1560 within the Mughal Empire, this text page originates from the Persian work Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama). It was produced in the workshop of an anonymous artist, later entering the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains on view.
Context
The miniature from the Tuti-nama manuscript, produced circa 1560 in Mughal India, exemplifies the refined naturalism and narrative sophistication of early Persianate court painting. Its compositional balance and subtle gradation of color reflect the artistic milieu of the imperial atelier under patronly patronage, linking it to broader developments in Indo-Persian visual culture. Scholarship emphasizes its role within the Safavid-influenced tradition of illustrated Persian literature, where didactic texts like the Tuti-nama served both aesthetic and moral purposes.
The work's survival in a Western collection underscores its significance as a representative artifact of 16th-century manuscript painting beyond its geographic origin.
Contextual analysis places this folio within the evolution of narrative figuration in Islamic art, highlighting cross-cultural exchanges between Persian artistic workshops and regional centers such as the Mughal court.
Overview
This object is a painted page from the illustrated manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Executed on a light‑brown surface, the page is filled with flowing black calligraphy, bordered by delicate red and gold bands that frame the text. The work is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The text presents a segment of the Tales of a Parrot, a narrative traditionally associated with courtly entertainment. The manuscript was commissioned for Prince Salim, suggesting a purpose of literary amusement and moral instruction within a royal context.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic script appears to be hand‑drawn, rendered in black pigment that has darkened with age. Thin red and gold ornamental borders surround the text, while marginal notes or signatures are added in smaller lines at the bottom, indicating a layered approach to composition.
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
