Krishna, the Hindu god of devotion, is an incarnation of Vishnu, the celestial preserver of the universe. Manifesting Vishnu’s protective role, Krishna is a deific hero who is worshipped in his life stages as a child-god, young cowherd, divine lover, and just monarch. Krishna’s mischievous playfulness and miraculous triumphs of his childhood were long celebrated in the arts of southern India. Likely intended originally for veneration in a domestic shrine, this delightful image of the baby Krishna portrays him as a plump toddler standing erect with a playful smile and holding or offering two large balls of butter, of which he was famously fond of and would steal from the churn whenever his foster-mother Yashoda’s back was turned. Krishna is richly adorned with south Indian-style jewelry and ornaments. He wears his hair in a bun buoyed by a gilded flaring collar, braided locks cascading to his armlets, pierced ears with dual earrings, multiple necklaces, a pendant with tiger claws, bracelets, finger rings, a belt of bells worn low around his waist, anklets, and foot bracelets. Traces of polychrome paint and gilding highlight his features and the double lotus pedestal on which he is displayed. His naturistically modeled pudginess and joyful direct engagement with the viewer render this representation particularly charming.

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