A COPPER ALLOY FIGURE OF BALAKRISHNA SOUTH INDIA, CHOLA PERIOD, 13TH CENTURY |

the child Krishna portrayed dancing with weight on his left leg, the right leg raised with knee bent and toes pointing downwards, the right arm held in abhaya mudra while his left arm gracefully extends to the side with the dance, the upper torso held erect, the head forward, the body adorned with elaborate jewelry including armlets, anklets, necklaces and a girdle of bells (kinkini), the face with mild expression surmounted by a multi-tiered conical headdress, the conventional roundel at the back, standing on a lotus base set onto a square pedestal with loops at the side for processional purposes

Michael Dollard, 1971. 

In good overall condition. With a variegated patina throughout of green and reds, achieved through ritual use and handling. Loss to both the left and right thumbs. A gouge .5 in. underneath the outstretched left arm of the figure. Accretion in grooved and chased lines.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The account of infant Krishna, rescued from his uncle after a prophecy of his death, tells how he was secretly sent away and raised in the village of Gokula as a cowherd. According to the legend, Krishna delighted in the indulgence of milk and would stealthily try to steel butterballs, or navanita. Upon his triumph, he would dance joyfully and gleefully at his prize. This is the most popular imagery one sees for the infant Krishna - naked, adorned with jewels, his left hand outstretched and his right leg lifted in the movement of his dance - mimicking the form of dancing Shiva. The expression of dance, repeated in many of these Hindu deities of this era, show the considerable importance of dance in religious worship and practice.

Compare the styling of the jewelry including the kinkini and necklaces to another Chola bronze sold at Sotheby's New York, March 23, 2007. To reference the refined gestural movements, see  Dehejia, V.; The Sensuous and The Sacred; Chola Bronzes from South India, New York, 2002, pp. 198 – 199, fig. 51.