BABY KRISHNA STEALING BUTTER
Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, South India, late 19th century

BABY KRISHNA STEALING BUTTER
Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, South India, late 19th century

Opaque pigments, gold leaf and sukka (limestone paste) on wood, the vertical composition depicting the beloved scene of Lord Krishna as a child stealing gee (clarified butter) from his foster mother Yashoda, the child portrayed with a faint and contented smile on his face, holding the large butter jar under his arm and next to his hip, wearing an ornate and heavily encrusted headdress with the typical peacock's feather at the top, his accessories indicative of his relevance and divine nature, including several thick gold necklaces encrusted with rubies and emeralds; large chhajjas pendants; golden waistband; thick armbands; wristbands; and anklets; a further ceremonial garland of fresh flowers around his shoulders and extending until the right foot, Baby Krishna flanked by his mother by birth, Devaki, to the right and his foster mother Yashoda to the left, both mothers heavily bejewelled and making offerings to the child, Yashoda a piece of butter and Devaki a flower, the scene set underneath a lobed and heavily encrusted golden arch, to the bottom an image of Baby Krishna playing the flute followed by the cows and his fellow cattle herders, 65.5cm x 50.5cm.

The image of Baby Krishna as the thief of gee can be considered one of the dearest and most popular subjects in Tanjore's painting. Usually commissioned by members of the South Indian aristocracy, the devotional scope of these paintings is still served to this day. For further reference on devotional icons from Tanjore, please see B. Rossi, From the Ocean of Painting, India's Popular Paintings, 1589 to the Present, 1998, pp.82 - 89. An almost identical painting successfully sold at Christie's London, 10 June 2013, lot 172.

Dimensions: 65.5cm x 50.5cm