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 object is a single leaf from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama.
About this work
Technique & Style
Its condition is stable, with no noted structural damage or pigment degradation, consistent with properly stored archival material.
The page is a miniature painting on paper, executed in the Mughal artistic tradition with fine brushwork and mineral pigments characteristic of 16th-century Indian manuscript illumination. The work belongs to the Tuti-nama manuscript series and reflects the stylistic conventions of courtly Persianate narrative painting introduced to the Indian subcontinent. Its condition is stable, with no noted structural damage or pigment degradation, consistent with properly stored archival material.
The formal qualities include flattened perspective, intricate decorative borders, and a restrained palette emphasizing ochres, blues, and reds, all contributing to a lyrical yet precise visual storytelling approach.
History & Provenance
This text page from the Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) was created in 1560 within the Mughal Empire, as documented by its canonical dating. The work is attributed to an unknown artist associated with the imperial workshops of the period, reflecting the manuscript’s production under Mughal patronage.
The page has been part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection since at least the mid-20th century, where it is cataloged as accession number 1962.279.180.b. No earlier ownership records or commissioning details for this specific folio have been substantiated in the available sources.
The Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama) is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland, Ohio. Its accession number is 1962.279.180.b, reflecting its acquisition by the museum in 1962. The work dates to circa 1560 and was produced in the Mughal Empire.
While the museum’s records confirm its current location and catalog number, no exhibition history for this folio is documented in the available sources.
Overview
This object is a single leaf from the illustrated manuscript known as Tales of a Parrot, or Tuti‑nama. Rendered as a painted page, it presents a dense block of black calligraphic script arranged in tight, orderly rows across a warm‑toned paper surface. The margins are tinged brown, and a thin red line runs along the edge, giving the sheet the appearance of a page lifted from an older codex.
Subject & Meaning
The page contains narrative text, part of a larger collection of stories traditionally conveyed through a parrot’s voice. While the specific passage is not transcribed here, the work as a whole serves to preserve oral folklore in written form, reflecting the cultural practice of recording moral and entertaining tales for posterity.
Context
Manuscript pages like this were central to the transmission of literary culture before the advent of printing. The integration of dense calligraphy with modest visual elements illustrates the balance between readability and aesthetic presentation valued by scribes and patrons alike.
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
