Vintage Indian Hindu Lithograph Print: Naughty Butter Thief (13.75” x 9.625”)

This print depicts the young baby Krishna (Baby Gopal), a mischievous child who grows up to become the god of compassion, protection, tenderness, and love. This image plays on his love of butter and sweets in his childhood, the overturned milk jar and broken butter jar a sign of his naughtiness. You will also see a bansuri flute in the forefront of the image. Baby Gopal is often pictured with such. 
 
The print is signed Indra A. Sharma in the lower right corner. The title is in Hindi which translates as ‘The Naughty Butter Thief’! It was printed the Swastik Picture House of Delhi, whose logo is pictured in the lower right of the image alongside the word Gharat, which may be the name of the publisher.
 
NOTE: THE HINDU SWASTIKA IS NOT THE SAME AS THE NAZI SWASTIKA. Its arms are perpendicular to the page, not diagonal like the Nazi symbol. In Hinduism, the swastika is a sacred and auspicious symbol representing good luck, prosperity, and well-being.
 
 
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 one piece with an identical depiction, asking price $ 79!
 
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 decent vintage condition, with creases and a pink ink stain above the title. We would mail this flat.
 
H 13 3/4” x L 9 5/8”
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.