The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 15, 2025

Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page

1558–60

India, Mughal court, 16th century

gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper
Overall: 20.3 x 14 cm (8 x 5 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mrs. A. Dean Perry 1962.279.203.a
Location: Not on view

Description

Many of the illustrations from the latter portion of the book reveal more confidence in naturalistic spatial renderings. The space of the courtyard, roof, bedroom niche, and the dimensionality of the parrot’s perch are all more convincing than those of the Fifteenth Night on the wall to the left. On this night the parrot is telling Khujasta that he is worried about whether or not her lover is of noble ancestry. She asked him how she could find out his true lineage. The parrot answered that he would eventually betray himself by his speech or behavior, if he were of low breeding. He then told the story about the donkey in a lion’s skin.
  • ?–1959
    Estate of Breckinridge Long [1881–1958], Bowie, MD
    1959–1962?
    (Harry Burke Antiques, Philadelphia, PA)
    1959?–1962
    (Bernard Brown Agency, Milwaukee, WI, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Purchased with funds from Mrs. A. Dean [Helen Wade Greene] Perry)
    1962–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    Provenance Footnotes
    1 Samuel Miller Breckinridge Long (May 16, 1881–September 26, 1958) was an American diplomat and politician, who served in the administrations of Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Long is largely remembered for his obstructionist role as the Assistant Secretary of State responsible for granting refugee visas during World War II. His interests included the collection of antiques, paintings and American ship models. He maintained a stable of Thoroughbred race horses and was a director of the Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland, and he enjoyed fox hunting, fishing, and sailing.
  • Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 245); July 2, 2014 - January 5, 2015.
  • {{cite web|title=Page from Tales of a Parrot (Tuti-nama): text page|url=false|author=|year=1558–60|access-date=15 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.279.203.a