As befits America’s oldest* porcelain art studio, Cybis produced 17 sculptures that celebrated the history and patriotism of the United States. Some were portraits, some were representations of our national bird, and some were giftware items. They appear below in order of retail introduction within each of those categories.
Portraits
The first Cybis patriotic portrait was Columbia, a limited edition possessing a very unique characteristic regarding numbering. She was introduced in 1967 and was completely sold out by the end of 1968. She was priced at $1000 which was higher than usual for a limited edition during the 1960s. The sculpture is 15” high overall and sits on a 7.5” square wood base.
The brass plaque affixed to the base of each Columbia commemorates a different event in American history, starting with 1776.
The unique trait of this sculpture is the numbering, which rather than being the typical 1-200 instead runs from #1776 to #1976; thus, the piece that normally would have been #1 is numbered #1776, and the final piece should be numbered #1976. This is very confusing/misleading if a person doesn’t know that in this ONE instance, the number does not represent the edition SIZE!
The 1979 Cybis catalog lists this as “Columbia 1776 through 1976, Commemorative issue of 200.” However, a basic math check shows that this is incorrect: If the first piece/event is #1776 and the last is ndeed #1976, comes to a total of 201 sculptures — not 200! This begs the question of whether the final piece in the series is “1975” or “1976”; the Cybis literature does say “through 1976″ which indicates that #1976 was the final one. An edition size of 200 would only be correct if the last piece/year in the series is 1975.
Although Cybis never issued any certificates of authenticity, this background sheet was given to each purchaser of a Columbia.
This photo shows Cybis director Marylin Chorlton with the #1889 Columbia.
In addition to the retail production run there were three additional sculptures made in 1969 for presentation by President Richard Nixon to the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. The plaque on those three Columbia sculptures reads: “Here Men From The Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We Came In Peace For All Mankind.” A second shield, round and bearing the symbol of NASA, was also added near Columbia’s feet. A photograph of this sculpture appears in Cybis in Retrospect. The brass plaque that is affixed to the retail #1969 sculpture says simply “COLUMBIA Apollo 11 Mission 1969”
Unfortunately there is no existing list of what all of the commemorated events were, and so the only alternative is to glean them piecemeal from whatever sculptures happen to appear for sale in the online marketplace. The list below will hopefully be expanded as time goes on. As you can see, there are more “missing” events in this list than not!
1776 Declaration of Independence
1778 Battle of Monmouth
1785 unknown – see text below **
1793 Citizen Genet Affair
1798 Alien and Sedition Acts
1806 Monroe Treaty
1808 African Slave Trade
1809 Monroe-Pinkney Treaty
1825 Erie Canal Completed
1828 Andrew Jackson Elected as President
1829 Workingmen’s Party Organized in Philadelphia
1833 President Jackson Inaugurated
1835 (event unknown; sculpture has lost its base)
1849 California Gold Rush
1859 Pike’s Peak Gold Rush
1864 Sherman’s March Through Georgia
1867 Granger Movement
1883 Centennial Anniversary of the Society of the Cincinnati
1888 Benjamin Harrison Elected President
1889 Washington State Admitted to the Union
1910 Taft’s Trust Policy
1911 (event unknown; see below) **
1917 Peace Without Victory
1919 Terms of the Versailles Treaty
1920 Solemn Referendum
1922 US Paid Inter Allied War Debts
1928 Clark Memorandum
1934 Decline of Dollar Diplomacy
1943 Struggle for the Aleutians
1952 Austrian Treaty Negotiations
1958 Alaska Admitted as 49th State
1969 Apollo 11 Mission
1972 China Peace Mission
** The plaques attached to the 1785 and the 1911 sculpture are mysteriously devoid of any event; they both show only the title Columbia and the year!
To be honest, I cannot understand how these could have possibly gone out of the studio with a “blank title” plaque. Even if the wood bases were sent to Cybis with the brass plaques already attached, at least three people at the studio had to have seen it afterward: Whoever attached the sculpture to the base, whoever packed the sculpture for shipment to the retailer, and whoever at the retailer unpacked it. If the plaques were supplied to Cybis separately, for them to attach to the bases, then it would have been impossible to miss. The only other explanation for a blank title would be if the original plaque was lost by a later owner, and a subsequent owner had a new plaque made with only the name and number (because the title was not known.) But if so, whoever made the replacement plaque was able to exactly match the font and placement of the other Columbias’ name and year….not very likely, or even desirable. And so the events of #1785 and #1911 must remain a mystery as well as a monument to poor quality control.
These next examples are both of our first President. The George Washington Bust was an open edition, originally commissioned by the Bicentennial Council, produced for five years (1975–1970) and selling for $275. Sculpted by William Pae, it is 13” high including the base.
This is a one-of-a-kind experimental George Washington bust that was never released for retail and is also unfinished (as well as very dirty and with really awful face painting.) It combined the William Pae Washington head with a new torso and was most likely created in the mid to late 1980s. Its height was not cited but is probably at least 12”.
Mr. President is a limited edition of 500 standing 13” tall, issued in Spring 1987 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Bill of Rights which the sculpture of George Washington holds in his hand. He was assigned to the new (for this year only) Constitutional Collection. The issue price of $1987 matched the year. This edition was closed or completed before 1993.
Also introduced in 1987 as part of the Constitutional Collection was America’s First Born, Virginia Dare representing the first child born in America of British parents. The title was later shortened to First Born, Virginia Dare. Although a nonlimited edition, this piece is a bit special because the ones that were produced during the summer of 1987 (May through August) are numbered; the later ones were not. So if you have a numbered sculpture, you now know when it was made. Number 204 is the highest one that I have seen. The piece is 8″ high overall and had an issue price of $425. (The only other summer-numbered piece in the collection was the Golden Eagle, seen among the Later Birds.)
Liberty was an edition of only 100, standing 17.5” tall, introduced in Spring 1985 at $1875 and completed before February 1988. Although she was advertised as commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, an equal purpose was to help support the Liberty Park Monument Committee in connection with the restoration of the Statue of Liberty; a portion ($50) of her retail price was donated to that organization. Cybis’ Liberty holds a laurel sprig as symbol of victory. The flagstaff is 14k gold plated and the other gold accents are 24k gold leaf. Although the official advertising photograph from Cybis did not show her on a base (this was sometimes done with other sculptures as well; see the discussion in North American Indians) the actual retail version was attached to one as can be seen above. This becomes important when considering the later replica editions that the Cybis studio eventually produced.
And here indeed is Liberty II which is the first Hall of Fame replica edition. She is only 13” high overall and did not come with a base. Introduced in 1990, she was an issue of 500 with an issue price of $975. Identification hints other than the size difference: The flagstaff on the HoF version is not gold plated, she does not have gold stars on her robe, and the medallion is mostly white rather than the rich colors seen on the original edition’s medallion.
It took four years for me to finally come across a photo of the second HOF version, which the studio titled as Liberty III. This was introduced in 1991 as an open edition, design #5078, for $475. She is 11″ high overall, including the top of the flagpole which on the piece above it NOT in its original position.
There are several important things to know about the specific piece shown above, which is not in mint/original condition. First, the olive branch that she originally held in her left hand has broken off, taking her thumb with it. The flag, which was originally glued vertically at her side, as the other versions are, is detached, and the seller has simply laid it diagonally across her left palm. A small, dark depression can be seen in front of the medallion, which is where the bottom of the flagpole was originally glued. The two dark spots inside her right wrist are where the flagpole originally rested, and left bits of paint when it was later broken off.
The colorway differences between this second Hall of Fame replica and the first Hall of Fame replica are in the robe hem (a white instead of light blue band, gold starts instead of medium blue stars), the shoulder medallion (it has gold accents instead of red or blue), the medallion which is simply gold on white, and the flag fringe (which is unpainted). Unlike Liberty II, this version does have gold-paint accents on her robe and the medallion.
One Cybis price list includes a Liberty III with Desert Storm Emblem. I have never seen any version of Liberty with anything other than the same eagle medallion mold that is on the original, and so have no idea what the studio was referring to. There seems to be no universal/official emblem or patch for the Desert Storm operation, although I’m sure that different military divisions may have created their own patches.
This sculpture, designed and sculpted in 1985 by William Pae, was originally offered for sale in 1986 only, as Little Miss America, as seen in a California retailer’s advertisement from that year. The ad text reads:
Cybis’ tribute to the countless children who have given their hearts as well as their pennies to the restoration of our nation’s symbol of freedom. Dressed in her own version of the famous Lady’s costume, she holds a torch inscribed with the dates 1886 and 1986. Available exclusively during 1986. 8” tall. $295
In 1991 Cybis decided to make their back-stock of this piece available again, despite having previously restricted its purchase to 1986 only. They put her into their price list under “Hall of Fame” with the revised name of Little Miss Liberty and priced her at $295. But unlike the other HOF pieces, there is no size or colorway difference between that one and the original. By the autumn of 1995 she is gone from their price lists. Thus, she was sold as “Little Miss America” during 1986 only, then retired, and then resurrected five years later as “Little Miss Liberty” for a short time. However, there’s a pretty wild twist:
During the early 2000s, the Cybis website once again offered Little Miss Liberty (for $395 this time) and also offered Little Miss Liberty with Bow. For this version the original book is replaced by a yellow bow in her left hand. Whether this is the piece that they had put into their 1991 list’s Hall of Fame section is not known. What is shocking is the price point that the website indicated for the yellow-bow version: $975. For that crazy figure (no, that was not a typo) compared to the standard version they were concurrently offering, one would think the Bow might have been a numbered edition…. but it was not. If the $975 price on the Cybis website was not a typographical error, it ranks as one of the most egregiously overpriced items in their history. It is a charming piece — but not for that price, which I very much doubt anyone was ever foolish enough to pay.
American Bald Eagles
The earliest Cybis portrayal of our national bird, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, was their American Eagle pair. These are also among the very first of the modern studio’s retail sculptures. As noted in Early Birds, the white bisque version was made from 1954 to 1960 and the color version (which may be the Cypia one shown above) between 1955 and 1960. They are 14” high and originally sold for $60 and $90 respectively.
The Cybis eagle that was issued in 1987 was the Golden Eagle, not the bald eagle; it can be found in the Later Birds post.
This is the American Bald Eagle with Base which is an imposing 24” high, introduced in the autumn of 1986 as an edition of 300 at $2900. However, five years later it appears on their price list offered in two colorways: in white for $3975, and in color (shown above) for $4975…. but not showing separate edition sizes for each color. It still gives the edition size as 300, so apparently this meant 300 total, regardless of colorway. This eagle was sculpted by Charles Oldham.
For all post-1950s Cybis, “white” always means white bisque. The above piece is glazed white, which indicates that it is only a test piece, but it nevertheless shows the difference in appearance between the two colorways. The brown spots are, sadly, dirt and stains from spending years under the leaky roof of the Cybis studio building.
The next several eagle sculptures were all cast from the same mold but given different treatments as to bases, colors, and names. All are non-limited editions and were available in either plain white bisque or color. The first appearance of this eagle mold was in Spring 1990, when the studio emerged from its December 1989 shutdown/hiatus.
This eagle first appears on that 1990 price list with the name Young Eagle. The on-base version sold for $250; the no-base version was $195. This as a non-limited edition.
In 1993 the piece was re-named Bald Eagle and acquired additional options as to color and base. A new, plain white bisque version was added; the with-base version, shown above, was $175 and the no-base option was $95. (The price of the color/no-base bird stayed the same at $195 but the color/with-base version jumped to $275.) So when this particular piece is seen on the secondary market without a base, it’s helpful to know that some were actually made that way rather than the base having gone missing.
Cybis produced a specially-marked no-base Bald Eagle for the Trenton Savings Bank in 1994 for the bank’s 150th year celebration.
In 2000 the studio introduced two pieces to celebrate the Millennium. One was the Noble Eagle which is simply the Bald Eagle plopped onto the base taken from the late-1980s closed limited-edition Mr. President shown earlier.
The underside of the original 1980s base was modified with this mold impression to include the issue year and the “Millennium” designation. A good height guesstimate for this piece is probably 9” or 9.25” overall. The only difference between the white version at $695 (2008 website) and the “color” version at $795 is the paint added to the eagle’s eyes, beak and feet, plus the addition of the laurel leaves atop the base. [The other known Millennium piece is a holiday ornament.]
There was also a special edition eagle made in 1976 for the New Jersey Bicentennial; it is shown in the Later Birds post. That eagle is not from the Young Eagle/Bald Eagle/Noble Eagle mold; it was taken from a retired 1960s sculpture.
This Bicentennial eagle on book was never released for retail sale; these were all in the studio’s 2019/2020 liquidation auction lots. Based on the 1776-1976 on the spine and the sentiment on the underside, this was originally considered as a 1976 introduction but was ultimately rejected. It is 6.5″ high overall; the ‘book’ base is 4.75″ x 7″.
Patriotic Animals
Several of the Cybis animal sculptures had a patriotic theme.
One of the Bicentennial limited editions was the Carousel Horse ‘Ticonderoga’, made for only three years (1975, 1976 and 1977). Designed by Susan Eaton, he sold for $925. Originally intended as an edition of 500, the edition size was reduced to 350. His name commemorates the Battle of Ticonderoga, which the American forces won on May 10, 1775 thanks to the efforts of Ethan Allen’s ‘Green Mountain Boys’ and their surprise attack.
In 1991 the studio introduced Carousel Pony ‘Patriot’ which was described as “companion to Ticonderoga”. His was an edition of 1500 which was almost certainly not completed. Patriot‘s designer is unknown.
Another 1991 introduction was a decorative variation of Bunny ‘Bon Bon’, this time accessorized in red, white and blue and titled Bunny ‘Liberty’. He was an open edition that sold for $175.
The 1993 price list mentions this decorative variation of Snowflake that was titled there as Bunny with Yellow Ribbon (Desert Storm Commemorative) and sold for $125.
In the early 2000s, the studio brought out a very slightly different Bunny ‘Liberty’ colorway and called this one Bunny ‘Patriot.’ The only difference between him and ‘Liberty’ is how the bow-tie and boutonniere are painted (striped instead of solid color) and that his buttons are blue instead of red.
Giftware
All of the patriotic giftware items were non-limited editions; however, the two Bicentennial pieces below were available for purchase only during 1976.
The Egg Vase with Eagle Lid is 5” high including the lid and was priced at $110. Originally intended as a multi-year open edition to continue in different colorways, it was retired at the end of 1976 and no additional versions were made.
The Bicentennial Lidded Heart Box was a special red, white and blue colorway of Cybis’ long-running ‘Thinking of You’ heart box. It is the same mold, of course, which measures 3” high and 4.5” x 4”, and the underside of the lid has the standard inscription/decoration for all of these boxes. Like the Egg Vase, it was only offered in 1976. (The other iterations of this heart box appear in the Giftware post.)
The Liberty Bell dates from 1987 and was originally part of the “Constitutional Collection” that year. It was sculpted by William Pae and is 4″ tall by 3.75″ long and 3.5″ wide. It was originally offered in two colorways: plain white bisque for $200 and in color as shown for $250. Both versions were retired before 1993.
The white bisque version, and also a gold-and-white which may have been a brief issue during the 1990s for at-the-studio sales (or, equally likely, a test piece.)
The Stars and Stripes Heart Box is also from 1987; it is entirely different from the ‘Thinking of You’ series. It is 2” high and 5” long and wide. The names of the two ‘patriotic heart boxes’ are constantly confused with each other by online sellers, with this 1987 heart sometimes being called the “Bicentennial heart” (despite the mold being marked 1987 rather than 1976) and the 1976 heart being miscalled the “stars and stripes.” Originally priced at $225 and, like the Liberty Bell, retired before 1993. However, during the 2000s the studio began offering them again on their website, resurrecting it from unsold backstock for $495.
A test piece in a subdued ‘antique’ tint instead of the traditional red, white and blue. It was never sold at retail.
The Eagle Bowl measures 4.75″ tall by approximately 8.75″ long and 5.5″ wide. This was also originally part of the Constitutional Collection in 1987 and offered in both white bisque ($250) and color ($425.) The inside of the bowl is decorated with stylized feathers and thirteen stars to represent the original states. The design was a collaboration between Stephen Zuczek and George Ivers, with Steve creating the basic design and George adding the fine details. Likewise retired before 1993, it too was resurrected in the 2000s and placed on the Cybis website for $495 but only as the color version.
These eggs are all test pieces of a commemorative egg on plinth that was never released for retail sale. It was probably made as a possible 1987/Constitutional Bicentennial design. The eagle atop the egg was taken from the 1969 Apollo 11 commemorative and was also used on the 1976 Egg Vase with Eagle Lid. This piece is 11 3/4″ high and the bottom of the base is 4″ in diameter.
This We the People paperweight shows the United States Capitol building and would also have been a 1987 retail offering but was never released. It is 5″ high and 4 1/2″ wide.
*The Cybis studio’s claim of being the “oldest American porcelain art studio” was based on the fact that Boleslaw Cybis first arrived in the United States in 1939 even though he didn’t register “Cybis porcelain” as a business entity until 14 years later (and three years after Edward Marshall Boehm had established his studio.) This was the rationale that the modern Cybis studio used in order to celebrate its “golden anniversary” in 1989, rather than in 2003.
Name Index of Cybis Sculptures
Visual Index (for human figures/busts only)
About the Cybis Reference Archive
What is Cybis?
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