Bala Krishna (Ladoo Gopal)
Orissa, India
Circa 16th Century
Brass
6 3/4 in. (18 cm)

The divine cherubic infant is seen standing upright graced in garlands and grasping a sweet in his right hand and a down-turned butter pot in his left. This delicately cast yet substantial piece renders Krishna in his iconic role, as Bala Krishna, the youthful and playful lover of sweets.

Bala Krishna is historically one of the early forms of worship in Krishnaism and an integral element of Krishna worship in antiquity. The worship of Balakrishna, the divine child, while a significant feature of the Krishna religion, often receives less attention, however it is one of the most popular deities of Krishna in many parts of India today. Early evidence of such worship can be found from the 4th century BC according to evidence recorded by the Greek ethnographer Megasthenes in “Indika” and in the Arthasastra of Kautilya.