This Ball for a Krishna Ritual is a rare example in gold of the famed metalwork produced in Kutch (or Cutch, now called Kachchh) in Gujarat, western India from the mid-nineteenth through the early twentieth century. Numerous European and South Asian vessel forms were fashioned, as well as sundry personal items, decorative objects, and fine weaponry. Most Kutch metalware is made of silver, but a few works in gold also survive. Kutch silver and gold objects are stylistically and technically unified by their sophisticated repoussé, distinctive floral decoration, and very high standard of metallurgical purity. At the height of its popularity, Kutch silver enjoyed royal patronage and was in great demand in both domestic and international markets.
The ball’s primary decoration is a broad band around its waist displaying the renowned Kutch flowering scroll, which consists of a meandering foliate vine burgeoning with lush blossoms and buds of poppies and other flowers. There are also acanthus leaves borders and complex flower head terminals.
This ball was originally part of a set of ceremonial objects used in celebrating the Hindu god Krishna’s birth. Items in the set would have included golden rattles, bells, mirrors, fruits, and various toy animals and birds symbolic of Krishna’s pastoral origins. This ball, and additonal ritual objects, were formally deaccessioned by the Trustees of the Shri Vadabacharya Temple Trust in Mandvi, Gujarat in 2000.
