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The Hindu deity Krishna as a butter thief

approx. 1600-1700

Asian Art Museum

Asian Art Museum
San Francisco, United States

Nepal: Hindu Art
Situated on the border between Tibet and India, the Kathmandu Valley has long been both a crossroads and a cosmopolis for religious traditions. Here, Buddhist and Hindu rituals and philosophies have interwoven into a kaleidoscopic array of ever-transforming deities and doctrines. , Krishna is one of the incarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu, who would appear in one of his many forms whenever something threatened the order of the earth. Numerous legends surround the life of Krishna, who is beloved by Hindus. He is said to have been a mischievous child, and his many pranks included stealing butter churned by his foster mother. Here Krishna is shown as an infant who is crawling and proudly holding a ball of butter to his chest.

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  • Title: The Hindu deity Krishna as a butter thief
  • Date Created: approx. 1600-1700
  • Location Created: Nepal
  • Physical Dimensions: H. 4 in x W. 3 5/8 in x D. 2 1/8 in, H. 10.2 cm x W. 9.2 cm x D. 5.4 cm
  • Rights: Public Domain
  • Medium: Stone with traces of pigment
  • Credit Line: Asian Art Museum, Gift of Robert Brundage, F2003.59
Asian Art Museum

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