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Malvina Hoffman
Mongolian Dancer bronze sculpture by Malvina Hoffman

1932

About the Item

Cellini Bronze Works, NY cast. Inscribed base edge. Edition unknown. Malvina Hoffman conceived the Mongolian Dancer in 1932, as part of her Races of Mankind series commissioned by Stuart Field of the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History. In 1930, Hoffman was asked to create life sized sculptures of people from diverse cultures around the world. In her letters from the field, Hoffman told museum curators that she wanted to illustrate the dignity and individuality of each of her subjects. The collection, comprised of 105 sculptures, was housed in the Museum's "Hall of Man", it was also exhibited at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and the 1938 New York World's Fair. At the height of the collections popularity, several smaller limited edition castings of the sculptures were created. Two foundries are known to have cast the Mongolian Dancer: Roman Bronze Works in an edition of 18 and Cellini Bronze Works, quantity of edition unknown. After 30 years on display, the "Hall of Man" exhibition was dismantled with the sculptures dispersed around the museum or placed into storage. Today nearly half of the sculptures from the original exhibition are once again on display in the Field Museum's new exhibition "Looking at Ourselves: Rethinking the Sculptures of Malvina Hoffman." This newer exhibition looks at both the nuance as well as the beauty which defines the people and inspiration of each sculpture.
  • Creator:
    Malvina Hoffman (1887 - 1966, American)
  • Creation Year:
    1932
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 20.25 in (51.44 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 6 in (15.24 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    This piece is in very good condition, retaining its original untouched patina.
  • Gallery Location:
    Hudson, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU2465212130012
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