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The Arrow Dance

Founder Cast by Roman Bronze Works
1907
Not on view
Potter studied in Paris in the late 1890s before setting up a studio in New York. Beginning in 1904, he traveled to the American West and to Alaska, producing statuettes based on his interactions with Indigenous peoples. He completed several sculptures interpreting Sioux rituals, including The Arrow Dance, in which a solitary figure points to an arrow lying on the ground. The pose implies rhythmic movement and a thorough absorption in the ceremonial dance.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Arrow Dance
  • Artist: Louis McClellan Potter (American, Troy, New York 1873–1912 Seattle, Washington)
  • Founder: Cast by Roman Bronze Works
  • Date: 1907
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 28 3/4 x 15 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. (73 x 39.4 x 36.8 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin C. Stephens, in memory of Helen Tresch, 1986
  • Object Number: 1986.343
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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