Almost none of the Cybis birds produced after 1960 resembled the early birds of the 1950s in style, and all of them were created in bisque (matte) porcelain. The sculptures below are sorted by decade according to their introduction year.
The Cybis Owls shows those birds in more detail than is mentioned here, and the Bald Eagles are all shown in Born in the USA.
1961–1969 introductions
The bird itself is a Holland Mold Company mold from the 1950s which Cybis did not introduce at retail until 1961. This is the Baby White Crested Sparrow which is also shown as “Baby Crested Sparrow” in a later Cybis publication. This little fellow was produced from 1961 to 1965 and is 3.5” high. His retail price ranged from $25 to $35. It was made only in color (no white bisque version.) In nature there actually no such thing as a “white-crested sparrow;” perhaps Cybis was thinking of the White-crowned Sparrow, Zonotrichia leucophrys, which is found in much of North America.
The Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers on base were sold as a limited edition of only 200 pair from 1961 to 1970. Pricing was $400 throughout. They are both about 6” h x 10” w including the base. The female is the bird perched on a lower branch, the male on a higher one. Although the design for this piece was done by Lynn Klockner Brown, at least one of the original-design birds (the female) was replaced by an existing bird mold, i.e., the one that had been previously used on the Madonna with Bird. See a comparison of the two in the Body Snatching post. The production version of the Gnatcatchers did retain all of the other original Lynn Brown elements, however.
The Carolina Paroquet, Male and Carolina Paroquet, Female were sold as separate sculptures. Both were made only from 1962–1965. The male, shown at left in the upper photo and also in the color image, is 8” h and the female is 6.5” h. It was offered in both plain white bisque for $75 and also in color for $95. Surprisingly, these were open editons! The bird depicted is the “Carolina parakeet” a/k/a Carolina Paroquet, Conuropsis carolinensis which was declared extinct in 1939. A fascinating website devoted to this bird can be found here.
Duckling ‘Baby Brother’ was an open edition from 1962 to 1979 and stands 4.5” high. Initially priced at $35, he was $95 at retirement. Supposedly this is a baby merganser according to the 1965 Cybis catalog, but merganser ducklings are heavily colored, not white. There was a one-of-a-kind sculpture created for a benefit auction in 1978 which added a flowery parasol; that piece was given the special name of April Rain.
The 1978-79 Cybis catalog Appendix lists a single sculpture named Golden Crowned Kinglets, design #343, as a 1962 introduction available in both white bisque ($65) and color ($85). It was retired in 1962 and I have never seen a photo of it. If anyone does have an example of this piece and would like to share a photo, there is a contact form link at the bottom of this page.
The Wood Wren with Dogwood was introduced in 1963 in both white bisque and color. The white one was made for only one year (1963-1964) at $55 and came with an accompanying wood base (but see note below.) The color one was not retired until 1981. The color version started at $70 retail and closed at $395. It is 5.5” high and was also produced with an accompanying brown wood base until September 1975, at which time the bases were discontinued. Despite the name “wood wren” given by Cybis, this bird appears instead to be the winter wren, Troglodytes hiemalis. There were two versions/forms of this sculpture, using two different branch molds. The form shown above, with the ‘lower’ branch mold and three dogwood flowers, was the first one. The photo in the circa-1960s Cybis catalogs is of this version. The example above is missing its original base.
This all-white example appeared for sale on eBay but I am pretty sure that it was not part of the 1963-64 retail edition, and not only because it is not signed or stamped in paint. It does have the block-letter CYBIS mold impression on the bottom of one branch leg, but that is something that would be done during the first firing of that branch mold piece. It’s possible that this piece may be an unfinished leftover “escapee” from the studio, probably given to or bought by an employee at Cybis’ annual ‘oddities auction’ at year end at any point from 1963 to 1981. But it is useful to see this in order to have an idea of what the all-white 1963-64 retail piece looked like.
It’s not known how many of the initial/first Wood Wrens were made before they were replaced by a version using a redesigned branch mold. Here is the revamped wren, in color, although the very dark wood base in the first photo may not have been the one it originally came with. The base in the second photo is the typical color. (The four flowers on the white example above is why I don’t think it was made as early as 1963.)
Although not readily apparent in single-sculpture photos, the difference between the earlier and later versions is easily seen when one is placed next to the other. The lower branch mold has space for only three dogwood flowers; the added upright branch allows for four. The shape of the branch ‘legs’ is also different, with the higher branch probably being more stable. But in what year did the production change occur? We don’t know for sure, but most of the pieces that surface on eBay and other venues are of the taller, four-flower variety. The second branch mold was also used later for two flower pieces.
Here is the limited edition Great White Heron, posing at 19” high as an issue of 350. The 1979 Cybis catalog gives its issue year as 1964, although Cybis in Retrospect shows it as 1965; the edition was completed in 1973. The retail price started at $850 and ended at $1300. The so-called ‘Great White Heron’ is actually the white morph of the Great Blue Heron Ardea herodia. However, the Great White’s range is restricted to Florida. Like the earlier Little Blue Heron, this too was by Laszlo Ispanky.
Without a doubt, the most magnificent 1960s Cybis bird sculpture was the one-of-a-kind Crown Crested Crane that was made for the studio’s display at 1964 World’s Fair in New York. It is 16.5″ high. This is the only image that I have ever been able to find of this rare piece, and my sincere thanks go to Ralph Quinn for sharing the photograph he took of the Cybis exhibit! The crane went back to the Cybis studio when the Fair closed, and remained there until at least 1971 because the museum exhibit catalog Cybis in Retrospect indicates that it was physically part of that show. What happened to it after 1971 is unknown. It definitely was not on display inside the studio during the 1990s.
The actual bird, Balearica regulorum, is the national bird of Uganda.
Cybis returned to the paired bird studies with the Solitary Sandpipers which was a limited edition of 400 pair. The taller sculpture is 7.5” high. Again there is a slight conflict in its issue year; a Cybis catalog says 1965 while Cybis in Retrospect says 1966. The edition was closed in 1971. Pricing began at $500 and ended at $750. Despite this bird’s common name it does migrate in small flocks. Because the sexes cannot be differentiated by plumage alone, I’ve chosen to designate the taller (standing on rocks, and with a yellow flower element) as the male of the pair.
An oddity within this edition is that on a few of them (there is no way to know how many) the artist chose to paint some ‘food’ in the water for the male bird to look at! I have seen only two examples of this extra decoration thus far, and both are shown above. The bird in the upper photo looks at two tadpoles, while the bird in the lower photo looks at three small fish (probably minnows.) This isn’t a case of early examples having these, while later ones don’t – or vice versa: The two shown above are both in the 100’s range of sculpture numbers. So it is likely that perhaps just one paint artist was adding them, on a whim as he or she felt like it.
Here’s a fascinating prototype from the same era, and may have been in contention with the Sandpipers for retail release. It uses the same base as one of the Sandpipers but without the ‘water’ and with some daisy-like alpine plants added; the birds are clearly by the same designer. This pair was in the studio’s 2019 liquidation and at that time I could not identify the bird species, so I simply called it the “mystery shorebirds” here. But thanks to a helpful reader who has properly identified them as Wilson’s Storm Petrel, I can now give this piece its correct name. If the studio had released them, they would probably have been called simply “Storm Petrels” but I think the full name is more appropriate. Cybis may have decided against issuing them because storm petrels are pelagic: They remain in flight, over the sea, for their entire lives except during nesting season.
The first of two such studies, the Penguin was made only in 1966 and 1967. He is 5.5” high and was an open edition selling for $35.
Blue Headed Vireo with Lilac is another limited-edition pair by Lynn Klockner Brown. They are each 12” high. The set was issue in 1967 with a declared edition of 500 but this was reduced to 275 before the studio closed the edition in 1975. The retail price went from $1200 to $2100 during that period.
Although the standard retail edition has white lilacs, this #87 pair has pink! They are not marked as artist proofs, so it’s likely that this was a custom flower color on request. Notice the variation in the color of the birds’ plumage between the two colorways; the pink version appears to have noticeably more yellow and less grey. I have not seen any other examples with pink lilacs.
The brilliant male Wood Duck was also a limited edition and is 10” high. An edition of 500 from 1968-1972, it was $325 throughout. Cybis artist Rose Barclay painted most of these; the design required 17 different colors, each needing its own separate firing.
This February 1968 advertisement placed by the studio in the Wall Street Journal shows a Wood Duck on a rectangular base; it is possible that the earliest sculptures were on those bases and subsequent ones were put onto the (in my opinion) more attractive freeform shape.
In 1968 Cybis created a pair of bobwhite quail that they ultimately decided to not produce for retail sale. The four sample/prototypes were sold as part of the studio’s 2019 liquidation. This is the male bird; this piece is 8.25″ high and 6″ wide.
The female is 5″ high and 6.5″ wide. The birds that are on the lighter colored “rock” both have Cybis © 1968 incised on the underside; the pair on the darker rock is unmarked.
The two molds are slightly different: The lighter-rock birds have feather surfaces in the molds whereas the darker-rock birds are smooth in those same areas, and the tails are a different shape. In fact, the “smoother” birds almost have a ‘woodcarving’ appearance although that may also be a result of how they are painted.
The perky wren is showcased in Clematis with House Wren, a 12” high limited edition produced 1969–1976. This was another issue that underwent a reduction, from 500 to only 350, although the price increase was very modest: $1300 to $1350. Designed by Lynn Klockner Brown.
Here is an artist’s proof with white flowers instead of mauve pink.
The American Screech Owl with Virginia Creeper was a limited edition of 500 in 1969. It sold out within a single year despite being priced at $1500. Measuring 13” high, this is the Eastern screech owl, Megascops (formerly Otus) asio. I would love to one day find a color photo of this piece!
1970s Introductions
Ten bird studies were released by Cybis during the 1970s, seven of them being limited editions. However, the first design of this decade was never released at all.
This absolutely filthy (there’s no other way to describe it!) white bisque Seagull was part of the studio’s final liquidation in late 2019. Sadly, many of the pieces were in similarly dirty and/or poor condition because of substandard storage conditions in the Cybis building. The auction house did not provide dimensions but I estimate that this piece is probably between 12″ and 13″ high. The penciled signature on the equally dirty and stained underside is accompanied by the design year 1970.
After being cleaned up by the winning bidder, he looks quite a bit better! Photo courtesy of the Museum of American Porcelain Art.
Now for the retail pieces: The American Crested Iris with Bobwhite Chick appeared in 1972 at $975. It is 7.5” high and 10.5” wide. Its declared edition of 500 was cut to 400 by 1979 and it was either completed or closed during the 1980s.. One can classify this sculpture as both a “flower” and a “bird” study. This is another Lynn Klockner Brown design. The bird, Colinus virginianus, is variously called the Virginia quail, northern bobwhite, or bobwhite quail because of its distinctive whistling call.
The colorful Autumn Dogwood with Chickadees was an issue of 500 in 1972 priced at $1100 and was completed in spring 1980 at $1200. It measures 8.75” high x 10” wide. The lively and inquisitive Black-capped Chickadee has a British counterpart in the Coal Tit. (Designed by Lynn Klockner Brown.)
The Golden Winged Warbler with Andromeda was a surprisingly small edition of only 200 in 1974. It is 10.5” h x 9.5” w and was initially priced at $1075 which stayed at that level until at least 1979. This edition, too, ended in the 1980s. Although this is another of Lynn Brown’s wonderful designs, the decision was made to cast the andromeda (Pieris japonica) flower sprays from a mold instead of forming each bloom by hand as had been done in the other Cybis floral pieces. The result was not as well received by collectors as the previous studies of this type had been, and Lynn was very unhappy with the change as well!
1975 was the issue year for the Great Horned Owl ‘Koo Koos Koos’, a magnificent piece by Charles Oldham. Created in two separate colorway editions, the brown version was an issue of only 50, at $3250, which closed in 1979 at the same price. There were 150 of the white/albino version (seen in the Owls post) which ranged in price from $1950 to $2250 during the same timeframe. “Koos” is quite large at 20″ high including the base.
Cybis continued the white-or-color option with the introduction of the American White Turkey and American Wild Turkey in 1976. Both were editions of 100 per colorway, with the white priced at $1450 and the brown at $1950. They were either completed or closed in 1980 at those same prices. The piece is 12.5″ high and 13″ wide; the white example shown above is missing its base. This is another Chuck Oldham design.
A special edition from 1976 was the Eagle Atop the Palisades commissioned by the NJ Bicentennial Commission. The Palisades is a line of high steep cliffs running along the Hudson River in both New Jersey and New York; the leaves and acorns represent the Red Oak which is the New Jersey state tree. The two round medallions are the seals of the State (background) and its Bicentennial Commission. This was originally available for only during 1976 at a price of $150. It is 8.25″ high and the eagle has a wingspan of 7.5″.
It was brought back into the lineup in the early 1990s when the studio launched a “New Jersey Collection.” Its new price as a non-limited edition was set at $575 for this color version.
Unfortunately the special stamp on the bottom of this color version is impossible to read, despite attempts to maximize the image quality. The eagle itself is the same one that had previously been used in 1970 on the limited edition commemorative Apollo 11 moon mission sculpture. Cybis’ bald eagles are shown in Born in the USA.
The Kestrel was a declared limited edition of 350 introduced in 1977 at $1875. The edition was closed in 1982 after only 175 of them were made; it closed at its issue price. Also called “sparrow hawk”, the American kestrel is Falco sparverius and is a different bird from its European relative. It is our smallest falcon. Here we see him about to dine on a plump and obviously doomed preying mantis! This sculpture is 18” high on its base and 14” wide including the wingspread.
Another limited edition in 1977 was the Hermit Thrush with Cranberry Cotoneaster; it is 15.5″ high. This limited edition of 250 (at $1450) was completed in 1981 at the same price. The original concept piece was the work of Charles Oldham who was so dismayed after seeing how many changes the studio had made to the design model that they had purchased from him, that he ‘disowned’ any connection with it! Let’s just say that the vines were not part of his original design and the birds were not in the positions they now occupy. This thrush is found at various times of the year throughout the USA and shares the habit of its relative the Rufous-sided Towhee of scrabbling about in leaf litter while foraging.
Also by Chuck Oldham and introduced in 1977 was the open edition Ducklings ‘Buttercup and Daffodil’ which continued to be made for almost two decades. Five inches high, this piece retailed for $165 at introduction.
Cybis returned to the pair format with Kinglets on Pyracantha (fire thorn) which was produced from 1978 to 1982. The original declared issue was 500 pair, quickly reduced to 300 and ultimately to only 175 pair. The original issue price was $900 which increased to $1100 before closing. Designed by Lynn Klockner Brown.
Nestling Bluebirds on Cockspur Hawthorn appeared in 1978. Measuring 4” h x 5.5” wide, it was first offered at $235. Also a Lynn Brown design, it was retired during the 1980s. The plant, Crataegus crus-galli, is native to eastern North America and although the fall berries are attractive the spring flowers are not very pleasing to the nose; however, these baby bluebirds do not seem to mind at all.
The final 1970s avian piece was Baby Chicks ‘Downy and Lemon’ in 1979. Also by Lynn Brown, they are just a bit smaller than the duckling pair at 4.5” high; its introduction price was $215 and was retired before 1988.
1980s Introductions
The first 1980s Cybis bird was not a naturalistic one. This is The Phoenix, a limited edition of 100 that appeared in Fall 1982. It is a replica of one of the original plaster molds from the Church Street studio, and has its very own Archive post with additional photos and details.
The stunning Australian Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo study introduced in 1984 was sculpted by Susan Clark Eaton. It was taken from life and based on her own pet bird. This small edition of only 25 sold for $9850, which works out to about $22,000 in 2016 dollars! It is also one of Cybis’ largest bird studies at 25” high. Recently-discovered Cybis retailer paperwork shows the edition as lasting for only two years (until February 1986) but whether it was closed early or fully completed is unknown.
At the other end of the 1984 introduction spectrum is the diminutive 4” high Woody Owl, a young saw-whet owlet who was $115 originally. He was retired in 1994.
Another non-limited edition is the 3.5″ high Baby Swan from 1985, also designed by Susan Eaton. Oddly, this does not appear at all in their 1988 price list, which normally indicates that the piece had been retired, but it reappeared at the start of the 1990s at $75 and continued to be available for purchase.
This version, with a pink rose and ribbon added, may have been either a sample piece or a circa-1990s on-site studio sale.
The Preening Baby Swan was introduced in 1989; this is the same mold as the 1985 Baby Swan from but with the head/neck repositioned and a tuft of side feathers added. It is 3.75” high and sold for $95 in 1993. These should have the special 50th Anniversary backstamp. Another retail version appeared during the 1990s, as shown below.
The Dove with upright wings was introduced in Spring 1987 for $95. It is 5″ high and is a modification of the dove that sits atop the Bridal Centerpiece which was introduced at the same time. (The one on the centerpiece has wings held at a 45-degree angle.) This dove version was given design #3006. It was introduced, then retired, and then subsequently reappeared in 1993 as Dove (wings up).
This is the same dove but with holly leaves and berries painted on. There is a Holiday Dove in the 1988 Cybis price list for $100, so this might be it. It is not shown on any 1990s price lists. The example in the photo came from the private collection of its designer, Lynn Klockner Brown. But it’s unclear whether the retail edition had this painted-on decoration or had the usual “applied” leaves and berries made of porcelain, as did all of the holiday animals and bunnies.
Several birds appeared in 1987 including two non-limited editions. This one is the Black Capped Chickadees with Dogwood and is 4.5” high. The issue price was $295. At introduction this piece was described as the “first edition in the Cybis Bird Collection” and continued to be available thereafter.
The Golden Eagle was the other 1987 bird study. It is taller than many non-limited bird editions at 15.25” high; width is 7 inches. Like Koos Koos Koos of the previous decade this was also offered in a color version ($895) and an albino version ($550) which the studio designated as “white.” Although these were non-limited editions, some of them are numbered — which can be confusing unless you know why. At introduction these were put into the studio’s special “Constitutional Collection” of new issues but with a slight difference: Pieces that were physically created during the four months of special celebrations in Philadelphia (May, June, July and August 1987) were numbered. All of the subsequent pieces were NOT numbered. So you may well see one of these eagles with a number next to the signature. I have no idea how high the numbers went but would like to find out.
This is an artist’s proof in a lighter color and with the base formed as a rock instead of ‘grass.’
The Gyrfalcon is a Charles Oldham piece that was introduced in 1987. The introduction brochure lists it as an edition of 25 priced at $8000 each; however, the following year (1988) the edition size was increased to 100 and the price to $8400. This is a large sculpture at 24.5” high and 13” wide. The fact that Cybis continued to offer this piece as late as the 2000s (at steadily increasing price points) indicates that the edition was never fully completed.
Goldfinch with Violets is a charming nonlimited edition from 1988 at 6” high; issue price was $425. In 1993 it was drafted in to the new “New Jersey Collection” and rechristened The New Jersey Goldfinch with Violets at $675. It continued to be identified that way until the circa-2000s website which returned it to its original name of Goldfinch with Violets.
Nestling Owls ‘Harriet Hank and Hoot’ appeared in 1988 as well (it was a good year for avians) as a 7″ high non-limited edition for $325. They kept hooting all the way to the 2000s.
Another 1980s owl study was Screech Owl with Siblings; I grouse (no pun intended) about its awkward nomenclature in the Owls post. A completed edition of only 100, it was priced at $3925 in 1988. Additional views are also available in that post.
Another misnamed piece is Golden Crown Kinglets with Crab Apple Blossoms; Cybis spelled it as “Crown” which is ornithologically incorrect: it should be “Golden Crowned“. The spelling was probably intentional in order to avoid possible confusion with the early 1960s Golden Crowned Kinglets which is an entirely different piece. This was another 1989 introduction and has the special Anniversary backstamp. It is 4.5” high x 5” wide. This non-limited edition sold for $395. Stylistically this reminds me of the 1987 Black Capped Chickadees shown above and may have been designed by the same person.
The Baby Duckling is different from the 1960s Duckling ‘Baby Brother’ although they are posed similarly with their little wings outspread. This duckling is 5.5” high and is also a 1989 ‘Anniversary’ introduction which means they should have the special stamp also. It was a non-limited edition, originally $150 but finally $175. It was apparently made in two colorways (white and yellow) although the price lists did not indicate this; most seen today are white. A close comparison of the mold shows that this is not the same upright duckling that was used in the 1970s Buttercup and Daffodil pair although the pose again is similar.
The second of Cybis’ penguin pieces was Penguins ‘Steppin’ Out on Saturday Night’; this dapper non-limited pair is 6.25” high. It was issued in Spring 1987 at $275. Later price lists shorten the sculpture title to Penguins ‘Steppin’ Out’.
This gorgeous 1988 pair was sculpted by Charles Oldham. According to the Cybis website, the “unique base allow swans to be displayed together or apart” and it was listed in that format as Swans in Motion (pair). When displayed together as shown in their photo it measures 21.5 ” high and 38″ wide. It’s a shame that the Cybis photo is so dark and doesn’t show much detail, especially of the bases, but my guess is that they are curved and contoured in such a way that they can be placed against each other and still look naturalistic. The price for the Swans in Motion as shown was $12,500 at introduction with the edition size listed as 100.
However, Cybis’ November 1993 price list also includes the separate sculptures Swan (wings out) and Swan (wings up) with their own individual prices and as an edition of 100 for each. The swans were not offered separately at the time that Swans in Motion was first introduced, so it’s likely that the spinoffs happened in 1990. The wings-out swan is 12” high x 23” wide and was priced at $9750 on that list; the wings-up swan is 21.5” high and 15” wide and was offered at $7500. Frankly I doubt that more than a few of any of the swans were made and/or sold at any of these price points.
1990s Introductions
Little Chick was a Spring 1990 introduction at $125 according to a text-only price list at the time; it is 4.5″ high. By the way, all of the Cybis lists and ad flyers (and their website) spelled this piece’s title as “Little Chic” which is enough to make any grammarian gag and Daniel Webster start spinning in his grave. The only correct pronunciation of chic is “sheek” and its definition refers to elegance and style – NOT, in this or any other universe, to a bird!
The Young Eagle that was introduced in October 1990 as design #3002 has a somewhat confusing nomenclature history. It was available under that name with two options: for $250 on a base, or $195 without one. In 1993 it was re-named Bald Eagle and had a white bisque version (design #3007) added, as well as two subsequent spin-off versions. All of those can be seen in the Born in the USA post which contains all of the Bald Eagles that Cybis produced.
This Dove mold, with wings outspread as if in flight, was originally used as the lower bird on the 1987 Bridal Centerpiece. It appeared on its own in the March 1993 price list along with the resurrected Dove with upright wings, given design #3005 and titled Dove (wings out). It is about 3″ high and has a 5″ wingspan. The small round base is unusual in that it’s one of only two I’ve seen from Cybis that do not have a flat bottom; see the photo of it in Base Behavior at Cybis.
The Preening Baby Swan with Hat is a variant of the 1989 Preening Baby Swan. It was available with either a pink or blue hat. This version will not carry the 50th anniversary stamp because it was considered to be a “new” piece even though the only difference between them is the added hat. This is another swan that disappeared for a few years and then came back during the 1990s — apparently 1994 for this one — at a higher price (in this case $150.) It continued to be available thereafter.
I honestly cannot believe that the studio took the small basket of baby chicks from their 1982 piece Little Jamie and sold it as a separate retail item at the studio during the 1990s .. but obviously they did. At first, I thought “who would even want to buy something with a painting error?” and then realized why it looks this way.
Here is a complete Little Jamie. The unpainted areas of the basket are the same spots where it got attached to Jamie’s back and thus not able to be painted along with the rest of the figure. The basket itself was never signed; the Cybis signature and mold impressions were on the outer back edge of the base section. Apparently this basket was removed from a finished Little Jamie (with no attempt made to fix the missing paint), was signed Cybis, and put on the shelf at the studio in hopes that someone attending via one of the factory tour buses would want to buy it. Obviously, someone did. I confess to a morbid curiosity about what this was priced at, especially considering that, given that Little Jamie is only 6” high overall, it must be no more than 2.5” high including the handle! However, chicks are birds, and the studio was selling this basket as a retail item during the 1990s…and so they must perch here.
See the Cybis Early Birds post for the birds that were produced from the 1940s through 1960.
Name Index of Cybis Porcelain Sculptures
Visual Index (for human figures/busts only)
About the Cybis Reference Archive
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