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 work presents a single page reproduced from an historic manuscript titled Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
History & Provenance
Its material context reflects the cultural milieu of the Mughal court during the reign of Akbar, when illustrated manuscripts were produced for elite patronage.
The text page originates from a Mughal manuscript produced circa 1560 in India. It was created as part of a copy of the Tuti-nama, a work associated with the Mughal artistic tradition. The manuscript leaf entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under accession number 1962.279.25.b. The work is attributed to an unknown artist and is classified as a miniature painting from the mid-sixteenth century.
Its material context reflects the cultural milieu of the Mughal court during the reign of Akbar, when illustrated manuscripts were produced for elite patronage.
The page is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued under inventory number 1962.279.25.b. The work entered the museum's collection as part of its holdings of Mughal-period manuscripts, produced in the Mughal Empire in 1560. No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
The work presents a single page reproduced from an historic manuscript titled Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Rendered as a painting, it depicts the page’s surface, showing black ink calligraphy set against a light‑brown parchment background, with occasional yellow markings that lie outside the main text.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains handwritten text in a script resembling Arabic or Persian, suggesting a literary composition, possibly a narrative or poetic piece, typical of the tuti‑nama genre, which traditionally features stories about a talking parrot.
Technique & Style
The calligraphic hand is highly ornamental, characterized by elaborate flourishes and curvilinear forms that demonstrate the scribe’s proficiency with the pen. The painter reproduces these details faithfully, preserving the contrast of deep black ink and the subtle tones of the aged paper.
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