Indian Figure of Baby Krishna

A crawling baby with a ball of butter in hand and a very confident look.

This figure of baby Krishna is from India and dates to the 17th century. It is brass. Krishna as a crawling child holding a ball of butter is a popular image in Hindu devotion, and is commonly shown in small brass figures. Here the child crouches on hands and knee, one hand holding a round object. He wears necklaces, bracelets and anklets, and his hair is gathered in two small loops at the sides. The brass has worn to a warm gold, with traces of red in the recesses. It is 2.5 inches wide, 1.5 deep and 2 high.

Small, mischievous, and entirely sure of the butter.