A carved ivory plaque depicting Krishna and gopis, Orissa, 17th century

of rectangular form, carved in relief on both sides, depicting amorous couples standing beneath lush floral and foliate branches, standing on a beaded lotus palmette pedestal, the reverse with gopis and a deer beneath a flowering tree

Prof. Samuel Eilenberg (1913-1998), New York
Acquired in London in 1987

This intricately carved plaque depicts an episode from the Bhagavata Purana, when the gopis search for their beloved Krishna in the forest, calling out to the trees and animals to discover his whereabouts. Krishna then suddenly appears and using his divine power stands between each woman simultaneously, his arms wrapped around their necks, the gopis pressing the god's hands to their breasts. This episode is illustrated in an Orissan manuscript dated to the early-eighteenth century in the British Library. Local artists and ivory carvers often derived their narrative from the same stories and scenes. This plaque would have been attached to a larger panel, possibly a bed-head which would have shown further scenes from the Bhagavata Purana (see Topsfield et al. 2004, p.349, no.155).