A CARVED BLACK STEATITE FIGURINE OF BAL KRISHNA SUCKING HIS TOE
Possibly Sindh or Punjab, Northern India, 19th century

Carved in the round, presenting the beloved scene of Bal Krishna sucking his toe lying on a leaf of the sacred Banyan tree, the divine baby heavily bejewelled with several strands of necklaces, a beaded belt around the waist, numerous armbands, a pair of heavy earrings, and several more accessories on his forehead and head, the concave leaf creating a natural cradle for him, incised with shallow lines to enhance its realistic rendering, truncated at the top, 26.5cm x 15cm.