The Rose Stealie

Stanley Mouse version

14”d x 1 1/8”

Basswood 2025

This image draws from early variations within the evolving visual identity of the Grateful Dead, in which the skull motif appeared multiple forms before becoming fixed as the widely recognized “Steal Your Face” emblem.

Here, the rose occupies the central position—replacing the later lightning bolt—while the skull and circular field establish the underlying structure that would persist. The composition suggests a moment of transition, where the symbol had not yet settled into its final form.

In carving this piece, the emphasis rest on continuity of form. The image resolves through depth and line, allowing the relationship between skull, rose and filed emerge without contrast or color.

Within The Eleven Collection, Rose Stealie reflects origin and transformation—an image that points toward what the visual language would become while retaining the openness of an earlier form.