Vintage Indian Hindu Lithograph Print: Baby Krishna Balkrishna (14" x 10”)
This print depicts the young baby Krishna (Baby Gopal) radiating joy and positivity.
The print is signed Indra A. Sharma in the lower right corner. The title is in Hindi and proved too difficult to translate. It was printed by S. S. Brijbasi & Sons of Bombay.
The print is a halftone lithograph, a common printing technique for mass-produced religious imagery in India in the past which made them affordable to all. Such prints evolved from use in puja rooms (prayer rooms) to stickers in taxis, shop art, calendars, ticket labels, and other everyday objects, becoming part of the colorful décor of Indian homes and public spaces. They played a significant role in popularizing Hindu iconography. They are still in use today, although modern printing techniques are used to reproduce them and create new interpretations.
Most online are asking at least $ 25 per piece for these kinds of prints. This may be a particularly rare image as we were only able to find a few similar images online, all in reverse (the baby facing the other way).
We do not know if it was our grandmother who purchased these in the 1930s or our mother in 1969 or the 1970s. This particular print is in good vintage condition, with creases but no discolorating. We would mail this flat.
H 14” x L 10”