The US Postal Service in January 1922 issued a forever stamp honoring Edmonia Lewis, the Black and Native American artist whose 19th century marble sculptures gained her international acclaim and are now held by the Smithsonian.

"As the first African American and Native American sculptor to earn international recognition, Edmonia Lewis challenged social barriers and assumptions about artists in mid-19th century America," the USPS said in a statement.

Lewis, born in 1844 in Greenbush, New York, to a Black father and Chippewa (Ojibwa) Native American, attended Oberlin College in Ohio and established herself as a professional artist in Boston, according to the Smithsonian.

She moved to Rome in 1865 and there began to work with marble, sculpting busts of prominent figures as well as biblical and ancient historical works. Her studio became a must-see attraction for American tourists, the USPS stated. She continued to live in Rome until her death in 1907.

The work she produced during her prolific career evokes the complexity of her social identity and reflects the passion and independence of her artistic vision," the USPS said. "

The stamp is the 45th in the USPS' Black Heritage series honoring individual Black Americans. Honorees in recent years include playwright August Wilson, PBS newscaster Gwen Ifilland dancer and actor Gregory Hines