The Child Krishna (Balakrishna) with a Butterball
Artist
Southern Indian
Date18th Century - 19th Century
Mediumbronze
Dimensions8.5 x 8.5 x 5 cm (3 3/8 x 3 3/8 x 1 15/16 in.)
ClassificationsSculpture
Credit LineGift of Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Yankauer
Object number1985.333
Label Text2005-02-26: As the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, Krishna is worshipped in four different aspects: child, lover, friend and master. Krishna was brought up by a foster-father, the cow-herder Nanda, in the pastoral region Gokula near Mathura. Since Krishna loved butter, one of his boyish pranks was to steal butterballs-symbolizing human hearts-from the local milkmaids (gopis). Notes:Evoking Rasa in Luminous Visions: Indian Art from the Chester and Davida Herwitz CollectionProvenanceDr. and Mrs. Alfred Yankauer, Amherst, MAOn View
Not on view
