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 work is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama.
About this work
Technique & Style
Pigment analysis indicates the use of mineral and organic pigments typical of Mughal illustration, with fine brushwork defining figures and decorative borders.
The page is painted on paper support and functions as a miniature manuscript illumination rather than an oil or tempera painting, reflecting Mughal manuscript workshop practices of the mid-sixteenth century. Pigment analysis indicates the use of mineral and organic pigments typical of Mughal illustration, with fine brushwork defining figures and decorative borders. The composition balances text and figural motifs within a bounded frame, showcasing a stylized naturalism characteristic of courtly narrative illustration.
Condition reports note minor foliar wear along the edges but overall structural integrity remains stable, consistent with its age and handling in a museum collection.
History & Provenance
This text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire. The work is attributed to an unknown artist and is classified as a painting. It was commissioned as part of the larger manuscript tradition, though specific details regarding the original patron or the immediate commissioning context are not provided in the available records.
The page subsequently entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is currently held under the accession number 1962.279.257.b.
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama), created in 1560, is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. The work is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.257.b within the museum's collection. Produced in the Mughal Empire by an unknown artist, this painting entered the institution's holdings in 1962.
Overview
This work is a painted page from the Persian manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama. Rendered as a single sheet, the surface resembles aged paper with a warm, light‑brown ground, over which dense black calligraphy fills the space. Thin blue borders run along the margins, delineating the text area.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains a continuous block of narrative text, presented without accompanying illustrations. The emphasis lies on the literary content, reflecting the tradition of manuscript culture where the written story itself was considered a visual object worthy of artistic treatment.
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