Bala Krishna; sculpture, brass, Deccan, India, 1775-1850.

A small image of the baby Krishna crawling with minimal detailing. He wears his hair in a topknot. There is evidence of wear on the smooth surface.

Given by Mrs A.M. Crawley-Boevey, 24 Sloane Court, London, S.W

Given by Mrs Crawley-Boevey, widow of Arthur William Crawley-Boevey (1845-1913). His collection of Indian artefacts, of which 83 objects were donated to the Museum, was made while he was serving as Collector and Magistrate in the Bombay Civil Service in the District of Dharwar, in the former Bombay Presidency, 1891-92. Since Independence Dharwar has been known as Dharwad and is in the State of Karnataka.
'Notesby Arthur Crawlye-Boevey on images of Hindu Gods collected inthe Dharwar District of Bombay - 1891. 1892.During the last few months that I served as Collector and Magistrate of the District of Dharwar in the Southern Maratha Country I interested myself in collecting specimens of the ordinary household gods worshipped by the Hindus in this part of the country. Almost all these specimens were collected for me by a Lingayet Clerk in the Collector’s establishment named Sankangowda. This man I had known during the whole time I served in Dharwar. He had remarkable intelligence and was much liked by all the European officers who knew him. The images are made of brass and copper or of both metals mixed. They are of very trifling value to purchase, and are as may be seen, of very small artistic merit. But as actual specimens of the household gods of modern Hindus in the Southern Maratha Country they have considerable value as curiosities; and knowing the great interest which is taken in England in this subject I was glad to have the opportunity of collecting such specimens as came into the market. Sankangowda informed me that whenever brass images of their gods became chipped or injured in any way they could no longer be worshipped. For this reason numbers of images are constantly being thrown aside, and are sold to the metal workers for their weight as old brass. Almost all the brass images in this collection have been obtained in this way. They were purchased for their weight as brass, and would in the ordinary course have found their way with the melting pot, and been moulded afresh....'

IM.96-1914