Despite its serpentine form, Thunder represents a large black and red bird with a stout body formed of a small tree trunk. Its sinuous neck terminates in a majestic, crested head. Thunder was designed to transport the Medicine Man around the world to tend to those who were in need of treatment, particularly the patients whose suffering the artist witnessed daily. Among Harvey's early sculptures, animals and biblical figures appear prominently and possess a distinctive simplicity rarely found in her later work. Plastic eyes create riveting stares.
Wood putty fleshes out nostrils as if a breath has been freshly drawn.
Locks of human hair delicately frame entranced faces. Elegant, simple jewelry adorns both figures. Acorn caps serve as Eve's breasts and the contours of her lone attached arm cleverly suggest those of a serpent. The attenuated figure of Adam is androgynous, unlike later versions in which his sexuality is pronounced. The expressive facial treatment and the absence of extraneous elements bring considerable stature to Adam and Eve despite their small size.