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 belongs to the manuscript Tales of a Parrot, a narrative created for Prince Salim.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The manuscript was produced in the Mughal imperial workshop and exemplifies the synthesis of Persian narrative painting with Indian court aesthetics.
The page belongs to the Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot), a collection of moralizing stories in which a parrot recounts tales to instruct its listener. The parrot functions as the framing narrator and a symbol of wisdom and the transmission of teaching, the work illustrating didactic storytelling through animal allegory. The manuscript was produced in the Mughal imperial workshop and exemplifies the synthesis of Persian narrative painting with Indian court aesthetics.
The work is housed in the Cleveland Museum of Art, which catalogues it among its South Asian paintings.
Technique & Style
The work is a manuscript folio executed on paper in the mid-sixteenth century within the Mughal imperial context. It forms part of the illustrated manuscript known as the Tuti-nama, specifically a text page associated with the parrot narrative. The piece reflects the Mughal synthesis of Persianate compositional conventions with indigenous Indian sensibilities, employing fine brushwork and restrained coloration typical of courtly workshops.
The folio measures 28.5 cm in height and 19.2 cm in width, adhering to the standard format of illuminated manuscript folios from this period. Executed in opaque watercolor and ink on paper, applied with delicate linearity and subtle tonal gradation, it is catalogued as part of the Tuti-nama manuscript produced circa 1560. The artist remains anonymous, consistent with workshop practice of the time.
History & Provenance
The page originates from the Mughal Empire and dates to circa 1560. Classified as a painting, it is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1962.279.17.b, having entered the museum in 1962. It forms part of the illustrated manuscript known as the Tuti-nama.
The specific ownership chain, commission, and earlier provenance prior to its acquisition are not documented in the available sources, and no exhibition history for the folio is recorded. The folio remains in the museum's permanent holdings.
Overview
This illuminated page belongs to the manuscript Tales of a Parrot, a narrative created for Prince Salim. Rendered as a painted sheet, it features dense black ink lettering set against a light brown ground, with occasional words highlighted in blue. A narrow gold line frames the margins, and the paper shows a subtle patina that suggests age and careful handling.
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