410 - KRISHNA AS BUTTERTHIEF INDIA SILVER 19TH CENTURY

KRISHNA AS BUTTERTHIEF INDIA SILVER 19TH CENTURY Dimensions: Height 6,5 cm Wide 5,5 cm Depth 9 cm Weight: 302 grams A charming silver figure of the infant Krishna as butter thief, shown crawling on hands and knees with one arm extended forward. The child deity has a rounded belly, softly modelled limbs, large earrings and hair gathered into a small topknot. The face is lifted with a slightly self-satisfied expression, while the low crawling pose gives the sculpture a strong sense of movement across the ground. Incised borders and beaded ornaments animate the otherwise smooth silver surface. The butter-thief episode belongs to the most beloved cycle of stories surrounding Krishna's childhood. According to devotional tradition, the young god repeatedly stole butter from the households of the cowherd community, turning an everyday domestic nuisance into a sign of irresistible divine play. These stories are central to bhakti because they invite the worshipper to approach the deity through affection, humour and intimacy rather than fear. Silver is especially effective for this subject. Its cool, softly reflective surface accentuates the rounded forms of the child's body and gives the small sculpture an almost tactile immediacy. The result is an intimate devotional object in which precious material and playful iconography work together: Krishna is divine, but he is also presented as a mischievous child close enough to touch.