20th Jun, 2024 11:00
Arts of India and the Islamic Lands
115
BABY KRISHNA STEALING BUTTER (GHEE)
Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, South India, early 19th century
BABY KRISHNA STEALING BUTTER (GHEE)
Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, South India, early 19th century
Opaque pigments, gold leaf and sukka (limestone paste) on coarse cotton canvas laid on wood, the vertical-format composition depicting the beloved scene of Lord Krishna as a child stealing ghee (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 importance and divine nature, including several thick gold necklaces encrusted with untested rubies, and green and red glass beads; a golden waistband; thick bejewelled armbands; wristbands; anklets; and a ceremonial garland of fresh pink flowers resting on 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 a green parakeet, and Devaki a lotus flower, the scene set underneath a lobed golden arch with green curtains, at the bottom a frieze with two devotees prepping ghee balls prasadas, behind them a white cow and a shrine, mounted, glazed and framed, 44.5cm x 39.5cm including the frame.
The image of Lord Krishna as the young thief of ghee is perhaps 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; and Anna L. Dallapiccola, Thanjavur's Gilded Gods: South Indian Paintings in the Kuldip Singh Collection, 2018.
BABY KRISHNA STEALING BUTTER (GHEE)
Thanjavur (Tanjore), Tamil Nadu, South India, early 19th century
Opaque pigments, gold leaf and sukka (limestone paste) on coarse cotton canvas laid on wood, the vertical-format composition depicting the beloved scene of Lord Krishna as a child stealing ghee (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 importance and divine nature, including several thick gold necklaces encrusted with untested rubies, and green and red glass beads; a golden waistband; thick bejewelled armbands; wristbands; anklets; and a ceremonial garland of fresh pink flowers resting on 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 a green parakeet, and Devaki a lotus flower, the scene set underneath a lobed golden arch with green curtains, at the bottom a frieze with two devotees prepping ghee balls prasadas, behind them a white cow and a shrine, mounted, glazed and framed, 44.5cm x 39.5cm including the frame.
The image of Lord Krishna as the young thief of ghee is perhaps 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; and Anna L. Dallapiccola, Thanjavur's Gilded Gods: South Indian Paintings in the Kuldip Singh Collection, 2018.
Auction: Arts of India and the Islamic Lands, 20th Jun, 2024
After much anticipation, Azca Auctions is delighted to announce their inaugural sale, Arts of India and the Islamic Lands, taking place on Thursday 20th June at 11.00am BST.
The sale comprises over 250 lots showcasing the extraordinary diversity and celebrating the artistic craftsmanship of South, Southeast and Central Asia, as well as the Iranian plateau, the Middle East all the way to the Mediterranean shores.
This longed-for, inaugural auction opens with a remarkable Northern London private collection of Indian artefacts, previously unseen in the market. “An Eye for Detail” is meant to illustrate not only the artistic achievements and talents of Indian craftsmen, but also the multi-faceted cultural and religious reality the Indian Subcontinent managed to foster and keep alive throughout centuries. Three generations of collecting collide into a very personal, subjective and unusual selections of tools, vessels, paintings, accessories, photographs and decorative lots that range from £150 to £6,000 GBP, offering a chance to both seasoned buyers and new collectors to make their pick.
Following the private collection selection, the remaining 150 lots are divided between the Arts of South Asia and the Arts of the Islamic Lands, two worlds that, despite their substantial geographic distances, have always been tightly interlinked. Among the highlights, one can count a selection of eight official courtly album portraits of Mughal Emperors (lot 164); a large Qajar polychrome-painted moulded pottery tile with a banquet scene replicating the Safavid frescoes of the Chihil Sotun Palace in Isfahan (lot 206); and lastly, an elegant and intact 16th-century Ottoman Iznik plate with saz leaves and arabesques (lot 262).
Dive into a world of wonders and for any specific query, please do not hesitate to contact our Head of Department, Beatrice Campi at beatrice@azcaauctions.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
Viewing
Viewing will take place at the following address:
Metro Building, 8th Floor
1 Butterwick
London, W6 8DL
