1986 Ruthe Blalock Jones “Oklahoma Stomp Dance” Original Signed Native American Woodblock Print, Limited Edition 12/40

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An exceptional original 1986 woodblock print by celebrated Native American artist Ruthe Blalock Jones (born 1939), titled “Oklahoma Stomp Dance.” … Read more An exceptional original 1986 woodblock print by celebrated Native American artist Ruthe Blalock Jones (born 1939), titled “Oklahoma Stomp Dance.” Hand-printed by the artist in her Oklahoma studio, this striking composition captures the ceremonial traditions of Indigenous communities of the American Southeast and Oklahoma. Executed in dramatic black-and-white contrasts, the work presents a gathering of ceremonial dancers beneath an immense full moon, surrounded by densely carved vertical patterns suggesting the surrounding woodland and the rhythmic movement of the ceremony.
Numbered 12 from a strictly limited edition of 40 impressions, with only four additional artist's proofs, this original woodblock print is hand-signed, titled, numbered, and dated in pencil along the lower margin. The original studio documentation confirms that the edition was printed between July 31 and August 6, 1986, using traditional hand-printing methods rather than a mechanical press. The artist employed a wooden spoon, silver spoon, and other hand tools to transfer the image onto rice paper, producing an individually printed impression with the characteristic textures and variations of traditional relief printmaking.
Born in Claremore, Oklahoma, Ruthe Blalock Jones is an important figure in twentieth-century Native American art, whose work draws upon her Delaware, Shawnee, and Peoria heritage and her personal experience with Indigenous ceremonial traditions. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Tulsa and served as an influential artist and educator at Bacone College, where she became director of the art department. In 1995, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions to art, education, and the preservation of Native American cultural traditions.
Jones's work is represented in important institutional collections, including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, the Heard Museum, the Gilcrease Museum, the Philbrook Museum of Art, and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Her artistic achievements were further recognized through a retrospective exhibition at the C. N. Gorman Museum at the University of California, Davis, in 2012. She also contributed to the scholarly publication “Hero, Hawk, and Open Hand: American Indian Art of the Ancient Midwest and South,” associated with the Art Institute of Chicago.
“Oklahoma Stomp Dance” is particularly meaningful within Jones's artistic career because the stomp dance is a recurring subject in her work, reflecting the continuity of Indigenous ceremonial life and the importance of cultural memory. The composition depicts ceremonial participants in traditional attire, including women wearing shell shakers, whose rhythmic movement accompanies the dance. The monumental circular moon and expressive linear carving create a visually arresting composition that balances cultural narrative with the distinctive graphic qualities of original woodblock printmaking.
An especially desirable feature of this example is its surviving original artist's studio documentation, preserved on the reverse of the frame. The typed certificate identifies the artwork, printing dates, edition size, materials, and hand-printing methods. It is individually numbered 12/40 and bears Ruthe Blalock Jones's original blue-ink signature, dated August 8, 1986. An accompanying illustrated biographical sheet provides additional information about the artist and her personal relationship to the ceremonial subject matter. A separate historical studio sheet is also retained on the reverse, providing further context regarding the artist's printmaking practice.
The artwork is professionally presented beneath glass with a generously proportioned neutral mat and a substantial decorative frame featuring contrasting dark bronze and antiqued metallic finishes. The presentation complements the dramatic graphic composition while maintaining the character of its original twentieth-century setting.
A distinguished example of documented Native American fine-art printmaking, this original limited-edition work offers collectors an opportunity to acquire a hand-signed composition by an artist recognized for her contributions to Indigenous American art, cultural preservation, and arts education.
Dimensions
Overall Height: 25"
Overall Width: 19"
Visible Image Height: 18"
Visible Image Width: 12" See less