The Scarf Dance table centrepiece is one of the most iconic expressions of the Art Nouveau style, embodying the principles of organic form and movement and the representation of the now liberated female form. The original work comprised fifteen female figures dressed in flowing garments and dancing with scarves and musical instruments. The central figure playing the horns leads the dancers and the suite is complemented with a pair of torch bearers on pedestals, who oversee the performance. The figures are dynamic studies in movement and drapery and, while each individual  has a distinctive character and pose, the group possesses a rhythm and harmony that contributes to the unity of the whole.  

 The work was commissioned by the Sèvres porcelain manufactory and modelled by the sculptor Agathon Léonard in 1898. It was first exhibited as a table centrepiece at the Paris International Exhibition in 1900 where Sèvres won a Grand Prix medal. It was described in the exhibition report as ‘elegant figures in a graceful and charming ensemble which were a great and deserved success’. Following the Exhibition, the series was put into production in two different sizes: the première grandeur and deuxième grandeur. These figures are from the larger première, or first, size.