Dale J. Anderson Copper Deer Dancer Sculpture, Signed & Numbered 20/500, 1993

A freestanding figural sculpture rendered entirely in hand-wrought copper, depicting a ceremonial Deer Dancer in full regalia. The figure wears a deer-head headdress crowned with branching antlers finished in a verdigris patina, the face rendered with somber, contemplative features beneath upright ears. A fringed shawl falls across the shoulders, ornamented with a turquoise-and-copper pendant at the throat, and the figure's belted tunic is decorated with applied roundels bearing repoussé designs of stepped mountains, dots, and stylized motifs. In one hand a feathered spear; in the other a circular shield trailing a cluster of patinated copper feathers. Moccasined feet stand on a freeform copper base, signed Dale J. Anderson, numbered 20/500, and dated '93.

The Deer Dancer is a figure of reverence across Yaqui, Pueblo, and broader ceremonial traditions — a hunter-spirit bridging the human and animal worlds, honored in dances that mark seasonal renewal and the relationship between people and the deer who sustain them. Anderson's interpretation translates that ceremony into metal: the soft drape of hide rendered in torch-flamed copper, the iridescence of the patina shifting from rose-gold to deep aubergine to oxidized green across folds, fringe, and feather. The piece is sturdy on its base, with staff elements having been reattached.

CONDITION

Good with no remarkable damage. Visible patina throughout — a designed surface that includes rich copper tones with verdigris and oxidation, particularly across the antlers, feathers, and underside of the shield. Some elements of the staff have been reattached. Sturdy overall.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 35 1/2" H × 16" W × 11" D
• Weight: 8 lbs
• Material: Copper construction
• Artist: Dale J. Anderson
• Edition: 20/500
• Date: 1993