India, Vijayanagar period
Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.3 cm
Miniature bronze figure of Balakrishna from the Vijayanagar period, India. Depicted on a pedestal, his body is in crawling form and is adorned with jewellery from head to toe. He wears a signature cylinder-like headpiece and holds a makhan (a ball of butter) in his right hand. The facial features softened due to the touch of devotees.
Balakrishna:
He is the childhood form of Lord Krishna, one of the most important deities of Hinduism. The crawling child who steals some butter represents a sort of innocence and charm and symbolizes the purity and joy children are connected to and associated with.
