The Cybis studio produced a surprising number of vases in various shapes and sizes, despite not being ‘known’ for that genre of porcelain wares. Interestingly, almost all of their vases appear to have been produced during only two decades: The 1950s and the 1980s, with one or two appearing randomly in the other decades.
[Most of this content originally appeared in the Giftware post but is now being spun off into its own overview. This page will, of course be updated if and when any other vases are discovered.]
1950s Vases
Many of the vases made by the studio during the 1950s are known only from mentions in the 1971 museum exhibit catalog Cybis in Retrospect and/or from a short text list in the 1974 catalog. These include a Jug Vase; a Modern Vase; a Chinese Vase available in small, medium and large size formats (were all three the same except for the size, or were they all different?); a Chinese Round Bud Vase; a Chinese Square Bud Vase; and a Chinese Hexagonal Bud Vase.
However, with the liquidation of the studio’s backstock in 2019 several have now come to light.
The Cybis name-stamp on this white bisque floral gold-rimmed vase indicates that it is a 1950s piece. Its name – if it did have one – is unknown. It is 11″ high; the top opening is about 3.75″ in diameter. This strikes me as a woodland-plants motif vase, given the fernlike fronds and trillium-like flower design; it certainly doesn’t suggest either “modern” or “Chinese” to me. If I had to give it a name, I’d probably call it a “woodland vase.”
This pair of flared-bottom vases with applied roses, forget-me-nots, and primroses practically screams “1950s Cybis.” I am awaiting further information from the owner of these and the next few vases (made from the same mold) as to their height, as well as photos of the signature on the underside. It’s possible that this vase mold could be one of those referenced in the first paragraph but if so, which??
The same vase but with a more delicate and labor-intensive floral spray decoration as well as a gold-edged rim.
A completely different “look” for this 1950s vase: glazed black, glazed white, and bisque gold. This group could, I think, qualify for the appellation ‘Modern Vase’ – but who knows?
1960s/1970s Vases
Unfortunately, I have only four 1960s price lists at the moment and none of them show a vase among the studio’s offerings. The first and only mention of a vase during the 1970s comes in Spring 1976 when the studio included one (of sorts!) among their new introductions.
To be perfectly honest, I’d never think of (or use) the Egg Vase with Eagle Lid as, well, an actual vase; would you? It is only 5” high and has a top opening so small that one would be hard-pressed to find more than a single flower to fit into it. It was an open edition selling for $110.
An oddity about this piece is that Cybis listed it under both their Caprice Collection and Bicentennial Collection headings but added the notation “For orders accepted during 1976 sculptures will be decorated in Red, White, and Blue.” However, because the studio retired the piece at the end of 1976 (it is listed as retired in their Spring 1976 list) no other color versions were ever made… or any other 1970s vase either.
1980s Vases
The Chrysanthemum Bud Vase is between 9” and 10” high. It was part of the studio’s new “Heritage Collection” in 1983, and was retired before 1986. It sold for $395 while available. The other five “Heritage” introductions were the Bacchus Vase, Daisy Vase, Iris Compote, Gemini Bowl and the Spring Flowers plate (which is seen in Plaques and Decorative Plates.)
The Bacchus Vase (also described in some Cybis literature as a carafe) is 6.5” high and sold for $295 when introduced in 1983; it was retired by 1986.
The Daisy Vase is a petite 5.5” high. Originally $225 when introduced in 1983, it remained available into the 2000s for $295.
This adaptation of the Daisy Vase but with a lady’s face and crossed hands, was never released for retail; these are test pieces, so we may as well name this the Lady Face Vase. Notice the lily of the valley flowers added to the mold (compared to the Daisy Vase.) I would not be at all surprised if the artist who designed these two vases was the same person who designed the mid-1980s Annual Decorative Eggs. Just a hunch!
As far as I can determine, this vase too was never produced for retail. Because of the design I have called it the Unicorn Vase. At this time I do not know its height.
A white bisque version with a glazed interior (one would hope that all of the vase interiors were glazed.) In design and workmanship this vase is – in my opinion – quite close to the Iris Compote footed bowl that was introduced in 1983:
Because of this similarity I am dating the creation of this unreleased vase to the 1980s as well.
This Iris Vase also had a matching pair of candlesticks and a dish, both shown in the Giftware post. It is 10” high, appeared in 1984 and was retired before 1988. Price history is unknown. It is likely that this was also available in plain white bisque although I have not yet found a photo of one.
The Bluebird of Happiness Vase is also 10” high. Introduced in 1987 in white for $140 and color for $225. It does not appear on their 1988 price list which normally would indicate that it had been retired (that was fast!) …. but the November 1993 list shows both colorways as available again, probably from unsold stock. On that list the white is $175 and the color is $375.
An ‘honorable mention’ here to something that may or may not be considered a “vase”, a “bowl”, a “basket”, or a “figurine.” Titled Bunnies, A Tisket A Tasket and introduced in 1987, it is a combination of two full-figure bunnies in front of a handled basket which could indeed be used to hold flowers, just like a vase — but could equally well hold jellybeans or other goodies. I personally don’t consider it to be a vase but it can be seen in the Bonanza of Bunnies post if anyone is interested!
The Bud Vase with Doves is also 6.5” high and appeared in 1988 in two colorways. This gold-accented white version remained in their lineup at $95. For a while, Cybis called this the “Wedding Vase.”
This colorway was called Black Vase with Ribboned Doves and was part of a short-lived category called the “Midnight Collection.” It was priced at $85 in 1988 and was retired shortly thereafter.
This pair is slightly different: There are no gold accents. These may have been either test pieces or unfinished (no gold paint or paint firing.)
1990s Vases
An early 1990s item was the New Jersey Vase with Violets. The size was given as 5.25” high and 4.25” wide, an open edition priced at $295 in 1993. I suspect that this was a variant of the Daisy Vase but instead with violets in the center; a more detailed discussion of the pros and cons of this theory is presented in the New Jersey Collection post.
Adam’s Vase was apparantly renamed the Eden Vase. It is 12” high. It was introduced either in 1994 or 1995. On the Fall 1995 and Spring 1999 price lists it is shown as “Adam’s Vase” with design number 20964, for $975. However, on their circa-2000s website it was listed (with this photo) as the “Eden Vase.”
I have to say that, in my opinion, with this final vase (Adam/Eden/whatever) the studio pretty much hit rock bottom designwise. If the name was not on it, I’d never in a million years guess that this was made by Cybis! A couple of the earlier large vases are perhaps a little bit heavy-handed but this design, combined with the simplistic-but-garish painting, much too easily evokes a response of “tacky.” And at the studio’s asking price I cannot imagine that any were ever actually sold. Obviously one was made for photography purposes, but….well, I suppose we should count ourselves lucky that a matching “Eve’s Vase” was never made!
See the Giftware post for more non-figurine/decorative items.
Name Index of Cybis Sculptures
About the Cybis Reference Archive
What is Cybis?
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