193 - DANCING BRONZE KRISHNA INDIA 15TH CENTURY

DANCING BRONZE KRISHNA INDIA 15TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 8 cm Wide 6 cm Depth 3,5 cm Weight: 127 grams An energetic small bronze Krishna balancing on one leg above a stepped pedestal, the lifted leg bent sharply outward and both arms extended into space. The youthful body is full and rounded rather than slender, with the chest pushed forward and the head turned slightly as if caught in the middle of movement. A topknot, large earrings and simple ornaments complete the figure. The bronze has a rich reddish-brown patina with green oxidation concentrated around the neck, limbs and base. Krishna is among the most playful and physically expressive deities in Hindu art, and dancing forms capture the god's youthful, joyous aspect particularly well. Rather than presenting divine authority through rigid symmetry, the sculptor has made balance itself the subject: one foot bears the entire weight while the other hovers above the ground, and the arms counter the movement of the legs. At only eight centimetres high, the figure has surprising presence because the silhouette is so open. Empty space between the limbs becomes part of the composition, while the worn surface records long handling. The result is an intimate Indian bronze in which devotion, movement and the charm of Krishna's youthful form are inseparable.