The Miracle at Buffalo – Clay Maquette – 13” long x 8.25” tall*

The “Miracle at Buffalo,” was a parting-of-the-Red-Sea-type event experienced by a small group of beleaguered Mormon travelers aboard a flatboat at the ice-bound terminus of the Erie Canal in 1831, and witnessed by many at that time. With the faith of one Lucy Mack Smith, the 20 foot thick blockade of ice split into a narrow channel just wide enough for their vessel to pass through, closing tightly behind them as they went, and leaving all other boats trapped behind. Onlookers reported that the Mormons had perished in the thunderous event. In fact, the travelers arrived safely at their destination in Kirtland, Ohio, gathering as their prophet had asked them to, and even getting to read about their own “deaths” in the newspaper!

A “maquette,” such as this sculpture, is a small conceptual model, conveying the idea for a much larger piece. This maquette is designed as a preliminary sketch proposal for a monumental work to commemorate the events of this historic miracle.

*Dimensions shown are approximate.