Lord Krishna – Hand-Carved Polychrome Wooden Wall Panel with Peacocks, South India, 135 cm

Standing 135.5 cm tall, this commanding wall panel of Lord Krishna was carved by hand from a single wooden plank and painted in vivid blue, red, yellow and gold. It comes from South India (Tamil Nadu), where panels like this adorned temple chariots, gateways and household shrines, and it dates from the second half of the 20th century.

Blue-skinned Krishna stands upright on a lotus base, one knee softly bent. Of his four arms, the front right hand is raised in abhaya mudra, the gesture of protection and reassurance. He wears a tall, finely worked crown, a red mark on the forehead, jewelled necklaces, armlets and a red and gold dhoti. An arch hung with small lamps and tassels frames him, crowned by two peacocks turned towards each other amid pierced foliage scrolls beneath a rounded top.

The back is flat and stained black, as the panel was made to be set against a wall or into architecture. The attributes once held in the upper hands have been lost over the years. Worn paint on the high points, small knocks along the edges and base and a few drying cracks lend the panel a warm, well-travelled character. At 8 kg it hangs easily on a wall, bringing colour and presence to a hallway, living room or yoga space.

Specifications

• Subject: Lord Krishna, standing, four-armed, abhaya mudra
• Origin: South India, Tamil Nadu
• Date: second half of the 20th century
• Material: hand-carved wood, polychrome painted, black-stained back
• Height × width: 135.5 × 29 cm
• Weight: 8 kg
• SKU: 871

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