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 is a single page from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama).
About this work
Technique & Style
The work exhibits delicate brushwork and compositional balance characteristic of Mughal manuscript painting, reflecting the stylistic conventions of the era.
The page is a miniature painting created in 1560 during the Mughal period. It was made using traditional pigments on paper, a common support for manuscript illumination in this context. The work exhibits delicate brushwork and compositional balance characteristic of Mughal manuscript painting, reflecting the stylistic conventions of the era. The Cleveland Museum of Art holds this piece, which bears the accession number 1962.279.78.b.
The painting is executed on paper with fine brushwork and muted coloration, typical of 16th-century Indian manuscript illumination. Its condition remains stable, preserving the intricate details of the miniature composition and calligraphic text.
The formal qualities include restrained color palette, precise line work, and narrative clarity aligned with Persianate artistic traditions adapted in Mughal manuscript production.
History & Provenance
The text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama), created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. The work is cataloged under the accession number 1962.279.78.b and is attributed to an unknown artist. No specific exhibition history is provided in the available records for this particular folio.
Overview
The work is a single page from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot (Tuti‑nama). Rendered in black ink on paper, the page is densely filled with flowing Arabic calligraphy arranged in tight, orderly rows. A thin blue line bisects the surface, separating two distinct blocks of text, while a modest red border frames the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains narrative verses drawn from the Tuti‑nama, a collection of moral and didactic stories traditionally transmitted in Persian and Arabic cultures. The text, presented in elegant cursive, conveys the moral lessons embedded in the parrot’s tales, reflecting the educational purpose of the manuscript.
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