Is he not lively and lovely? This is one of the best dancing Krishnas in my collection. It is exquisitely crafted and has retained its sharp features.

Krishna, one of the Avatars of Vishnu, is widely represented in the household worship icons. Krishna’s Leelas, there are several of them, give ample opportunity to depict him in various forms. In this form, he is Nritya Krishna (Dancing Krishna).

This particular bronze may not have been intended for home worship. It is quite large, about 17.5 cm high.

The wear is minimal. The seller, a knowledgeable dealer, estimated the date to be in the 16th-17th century. Going by the style, it does look that way.

This is in the Vijayanagar style (14th-16th century); the Vijayanagar Empire covered most of South India, including parts of Tamil Nadu. Some of the bronzes made during that period adopted the Tamil Style, and this is probably one of them.

The notable features are plenty, the lotus on his right palm, Srivatsa on his right chest, well-crafted earrings, athletic and balanced stance, the way his right foot is pointing down and the whole swathe of ornaments.

I have always wanted to document the ornaments. This bronze allows me to do it. Coming soon.

One more thing to notice is that despite his toned body and adult-like face, he is depicted as a child. This is one of the typical features of South Indian Balakrishna.