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 Persian manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The miniature was created in the mid-16th century, likely around 1560, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar when manuscript illustration flourished.
The page depicts a narrative scene from the Tuti-nama, an illustrated Persian tale of moral instruction. The miniature shows a parrot recounting a story that warns against secrecy and illustrates the consequences of betrayal, reflecting themes of wisdom and caution within the Mughal court's literary tradition. Its iconography relies on the parrot as a symbol of speech and moral commentary, a recurring motif in the series. The work belongs to the Mughal painting tradition, blending Persian literary themes with Indian artistic conventions.
The miniature was created in the mid-16th century, likely around 1560, during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar when manuscript illustration flourished. It is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, accessioned under the identifier 1962.279.298.b.
The painting is rendered on paper using the tempera and ink technique typical of Mughal book arts, measuring approximately 29.5 cm in height and 19.5 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) is dated to circa 1560, aligning with the manuscript’s production period under Mughal patronage. The work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1962 as part of the Edward L. Whittemore bequest, accessioned as 1962.279.298.b. Its creation reflects the broader corpus of Mughal illustrated manuscripts, likely commissioned for a royal library or elite patron during the mid-16th century. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds the work in its permanent collection, where it remains accessible for study and exhibition.
The page is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it forms part of the institution's collection of Mughal-period paintings. Its inventory designation within the museum is 1962.279.298.b, a sub-component identifier indicating that it belongs to a larger composite object acquired under accession number 1962.279. The work entered the Cleveland Museum of Art's holdings in 1962, consistent with the accession year embedded in its cataloguing number. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources for this object.
The page was produced in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, a context that informs its classification as a painting rather than a manuscript folio, despite its function as a text page within the Tales of a Parrot cycle.
Overview
This object is a painted page from the Persian manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Executed with black ink on a pale ground, the surface is entirely covered by flowing calligraphic lines that occupy the whole field without obvious margins. The page is part of a narrative work that dates to the medieval period.
Technique & Style
The artist employed a single‑brush technique, laying down black ink in continuous, undulating strokes that interlock like a dance. Small decorative elements, minute dots and faint blue specks, are scattered across the surface, evoking a night‑sky motif that punctuates the textual flow.
Context
Tales of a Parrot belongs to a genre of Persian storytelling that blends poetry, prose, and moral instruction. Manuscripts of this type were often lavishly illustrated, and the calligraphic treatment of the text reflects the high value placed on literacy and artistic expression in courtly culture.
Legacy
Pages such as this illustrate the integration of literary and visual arts in medieval Persia, influencing later manuscript production across the Islamic world. Their aesthetic principles continue to inform contemporary calligraphic practice and the study of Persian narrative art.
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
