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 painted page from the Persian manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama), created as a personalized gift for Prince Salim.
About this work
History & Provenance
The work was executed in the Mughal artistic workshop in India, reflecting the synthesis of Persian narrative tradition with local stylistic influences.
This miniature text page originates from the Persian Tuti-nama manuscript produced in the 1560s during the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar. It was created as part of an illustrated manuscript likely commissioned by a Mughal patron seeking to compile and visually narrate the moral fables of the Tuti-nama. The work was executed in the Mughal artistic workshop in India, reflecting the synthesis of Persian narrative tradition with local stylistic influences. The page entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains housed today.
The painting is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection and is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.294.b. It was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire and has been displayed in exhibitions at the Cleveland Museum of Art, including a 2019 exhibition of Indian miniature paintings.
Overview
The object is a painted page from the Persian manuscript Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama), created as a personalized gift for Prince Salim. The sheet is composed of dense black calligraphy arranged in orderly rows, set against a yellowed paper substrate that suggests considerable age. A narrow red border outlines the margins, and a subtle blue line runs along the lower edge, possibly indicating a scribe’s mark or annotation.
Subject & Meaning
The text on the page forms part of the Tuti‑nama, a literary work that recounts moral and romantic episodes featuring a talking parrot. Commissioned for a royal patron, the narrative was intended to entertain and instruct, reflecting the courtly taste for allegorical storytelling and the prince’s personal interests.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic script is executed in a precise, slightly slanted hand that imparts a sense of movement within the strict orthogonal layout. The ink appears freshly applied, contrasting with the aged paper, while the thin red border and faint blue line demonstrate the use of complementary pigments to frame and annotate the text without overwhelming the script.
Context
The Tuti‑nama belongs to a broader tradition of illustrated Persian books that combined poetry, prose, and visual ornamentation for elite audiences. Such manuscripts were often lavishly produced, employing skilled calligraphers and painters to create objects that signified both cultural refinement and political prestige.
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