A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF DANCING KRISHNA, SOUTH INDIA, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
Well cast in a dramatic pose dancing above a waisted lotus pedestal supported on a flat rectangular plinth, his raised right foot over a matka (butter pot), his right hand holding a ball of butter. The rounded body adorned with elaborate jewelry, his face with large almond shaped eyes below elegantly arched brows above a sharp nose, the hair tied into a topknot with a shirashchakra to the back.


Provenance
: Dominique Sirvain, Saint-Ouen, 2009. Collection particulière Française, acquired from the above.

Condition
: Very good condition with some old wear, expected casting flaws, small nicks, few minor dents.

Weight: 245.5 g
Dimensions: Height 9.5 cm


According to ancient epics
, Krishna was brought up by foster parents who were cow-herders, leading to the association of the deity with cows, milkmaids and, as demonstrated in the present lot, butter, which he would steal from his neighbors.


Literature comparison:

Compare a related brass figure of a dancing Krishna, dated circa 17th century, 21.9 cm high, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.87.124, illustrated by Pratapaditya Pal, Indian Sculpture, vol. 2, 1988, p. 223, cat. 116.


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 20 March 2008, lot 354
Price: USD 4,000 or approx.
EUR 5,300
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A copper figure of the Krishna child dancing on Kaliya, South India, Tamil Nadu, Vijayanagar period, 16th/17th century
Expert remark: Compare the related dancing pose, with the figure also holding a butter ball, lotus base on rectangular plinth, and copper-brown patina. Note the size (11.3 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 7 June 2023, lot 2
Price: GBP 3,200 or approx.
EUR 3,700
converted at the time of writing
Description: A bronze figure of Krishna, South India, 17th/18th century
Expert remark: Compare the related dancing pose, with the figure also holding a butter ball, and copper-brown patina. Note the size (15.4 cm).


Auction result comparison:

Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 16 September 2008, lot 428
Price: USD 5,250 or approx.
EUR 6,800
converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A bronze figure of dancing Krishna, South India, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the related dancing pose and lotus base. Note the size (19.7 cm).