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 Mughal manuscript known as Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot).
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Symbolically, the work represents moral and didactic themes common in Sufi literature, where animal fables convey lessons about wisdom and human folly.
The depicted subject is a textual page from the Persian illustrated manuscript Tuti-nama, specifically a scene illustrating a parrot's tale within a Mughal-era painting tradition. The iconography centers on narrative content conveyed through text rather than figurative imagery, reflecting the manuscript's didactic purpose. Symbolically, the work represents moral and didactic themes common in Sufi literature, where animal fables convey lessons about wisdom and human folly.
Its meaning lies in the fusion of literary text and visual artistry, characteristic of 16th-century Persianate manuscript culture.
The painting originates from the Mughal Empire and is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, cataloged under accession number 1962.279.24.a.
History & Provenance
The miniature originates from a Mughal manuscript produced around 1560, likely commissioned within the imperial workshop of the Akbar era. It entered the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as accession number 1962.279.24.a. The work was created in the cultural milieu of the Mughal Empire and reflects the stylistic conventions of court painting in the mid‑sixteenth century.
The painting is held at the Cleveland Museum of Art, accessioned under the identifier 1962.279.24.a. It was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire and has been part of the museum's collection since its acquisition. The work was included in the exhibition "India: Art and Culture 1500-1900," displayed at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco from 1997 to 1998.
Overview
The object is a painted page from the Mughal manuscript known as Tuti‑nama (Tales of a Parrot). Executed on a single sheet of paper, the surface is covered with dense black ink script, punctuated by decorative words rendered in gold and blue pigment and framed by slender red lines. The paper exhibits a warm, antiqued tone and a fine speckled texture characteristic of early‑modern South Asian manuscripts.
Technique & Style
Calligraphic execution follows the refined Persian‑influenced scripts favored by the Mughal atelier, with precise, flowing strokes of ink. Gold and blue pigments are applied in miniature brushwork to highlight selected words, while thin red borders delineate the text block, creating a harmonious balance between readability and ornamentation.
Context
During Jahangir’s reign, the Mughal workshop system integrated Persian artistic traditions with indigenous Indian materials, resulting in richly decorated manuscripts. Tuti‑nama exemplifies this synthesis, combining narrative prose with elaborate visual treatment to meet the aesthetic and intellectual standards of the imperial library.
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