Indian Combat

About the Artwork

A spiraling composition with three intertwined figures, Indian Combat ranks as Edmonia Lewis’s most dynamic and complex creation. Although her Native American subjects typically exist in multiple versions, this example appears to be unique. Of Indigenous (Mississauga) and African American ancestry, Edmonia Lewis studied at Oberlin College and apprenticed with a sculptor in Boston before moving to Rome in 1866. Her sculptures were readily purchased by patrons on both sides of the Atlantic.

Inscriptions

The base of the sculpture is inscribed: "EDMONIA LEWIS / FECIT A ROME 1868"

Provenance

1950s: [Unidentified antique/estate consignment shop, Newton, MA] 1950s-2010: William (1916-2006) and Betty (1926-2010) Bresnick, Weston, MA 2010: [Gabriel's Auctioneers and Appraisers, Norwood, MA] 2010-2011: [Gerald Peters Gallery, New York] 2011: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

Artlens Exhibition 2019. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer). Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA (organizer) (co-organizer) (February 14-June 7, 2026) https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/edmonia-lewis-said-in-stone; Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, GA (co-organizer) (August 8, 2026-January 3, 2027); North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC (April 3-July 11, 2027).

Quick Overview

Artist: Edmonia Lewis (American, c. 1844–1907)
Date: 1868
Medium: marble
Dimensions: Overall: 76.2 x 48.3 x 36.5 cm (30 x 19 x 14 3/8 in.)
Type: Sculpture
Classification: Sculpture
Department: American Painting and Sculpture
Credit line: American Painting and Sculpture Sundry Purchase Fund and Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession no.: 2011.110

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 7, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.