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 single folio from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama.
About this work
Technique & Style
The work is a miniature painting on paper, created as a text page from the Persian narrative Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) during the Mughal period.
The work is a miniature painting on paper, created as a text page from the Persian narrative Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot) during the Mughal period. Executed around 1560, it exemplifies manuscript illumination techniques characteristic of Mughal book arts, where fine brushwork and intricate detailing serve to illustrate literary content. The piece is attributed to an unknown artist and is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is cataloged under accession number 1962.279.298.a.
The support is paper, typical of manuscript production in 16th-century Mughal India, and the work functions as a painted text page rather than a standalone image. Its formal qualities include delicate line work, restrained color application, and compositional balance reflective of Persianate artistic traditions transmitted into the Indian subcontinent under Mughal patronage. The condition and handling history are not detailed in available records, but its survival offers insight into the material practices of courtly manuscript production.
History & Provenance
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire. While the specific artist remains unidentified, the work is classified as a painting associated with the manuscript tradition of that era. The piece entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1962, where it is currently held under the accession number 1962.279.298.a.
No further details regarding the original commission or specific ownership chain prior to its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is accessioned as 1962.279.298.a. The work entered the museum’s collection in 1962, aligning with its documented Mughal Empire origin and circa 1560 creation date.
Overview
The object is a single folio from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama. It consists solely of calligraphic text, rendered in dense, flowing black ink upon a pale substrate. The page is framed by a narrow red margin that delineates the written area, and no illustrative imagery accompanies the script.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains a continuous narrative in a single language, arranged in vertical columns that progress from the top of the sheet to its base. The content reflects the moral and didactic stories characteristic of the Tuti‑nama tradition, wherein a parrot serves as a vehicle for imparting ethical lessons.
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
Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page