This is Krishna as Venugopala identified by his pose, playing the flute, and the cow by his right leg.

This bronze is from Kerala. Regional attribution is based on the metal’s colour, casting technique (combination of lost wax and Dokhra style) and the tree at the back.

Krishna’s right hand and some of the branches of the tree, the backdrop, are damaged. As Kerala bronzes are distinct and rarer, any example we get is worth preserving.

Notice the cow’s lifted head listening to music and the snake/cobra on the tree to Krishna’s right side.

This bronze is about 13 cm in height and may date to the sixteenth century.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art has a similar example. Ascension number: M.75.4.13. That bronze is attributed to the fifteenth century.