121 - STANDING BRONZE KRISHNA INDIA 18TH CENTURY

STANDING BRONZE KRISHNA INDIA 18TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 7 cm Wide 4,5 cm Depth 2,6 cm Weight: 99 grams A small but wonderfully animated bronze figure of Krishna, caught in a lively dancing movement rather than the rigid frontality of a formal temple image. One leg is lifted and bent across the standing leg, while the torso turns gently in the opposite direction, creating a remarkable sense of rhythm within only seven centimetres of height. One arm extends outward with an elegant, almost playful gesture, while the other hand holds a rounded attribute close to the body. The deity wears necklaces, armlets and a short ornamented garment, his hair gathered into a high topknot. Years of handling have softened the projecting parts of the bronze to a warm copper-brown sheen, while darker deposits remain in the recesses and give the small sculpture surprising depth. That sense of movement is particularly appropriate for Krishna. Few Hindu deities possess such a wide emotional range: he can appear as divine child, mischievous butter thief, flute-playing cowherd, lover, warrior, teacher and manifestation of Vishnu. Here the emphasis is clearly on the youthful and accessible side of the god. The dancing pose brings the figure close to the world of bhakti, the deeply personal form of Hindu devotion in which love of the deity is at least as important as awe before divine power. What makes this Indian bronze especially appealing is the contrast between its miniature scale and its energetic presence. It was made to be seen at close range, where the small details of jewellery, gesture and posture become increasingly legible. As an image of Krishna, Vishnu, Indian bronze sculpture and Hindu devotional art, it carries the vocabulary collectors search for naturally within the story of the object itself: a compact sacred image that feels less as though it is posing than as though it has been momentarily caught in motion.