‘Portraits in Porcelain’ was the category name given by Cybis to their limited edition full-figure studies of characters from history, literature and the performing arts. These covered a wide range of subjects and sometimes more than a bit of artistic license was used in the portrayals, but a number of the Portraits can be counted [...]
In addition to their carousel horses Cybis also created a menagerie of other carousel animals in porcelain. There were two very different series: the full-size collection spanning the mid-1970s through the early 2000s, and the small Carousel II series introduced in the late 1980s. Unlike the Hall of Fame editions, however, the second series was [...]
One of the most notable achievements of the Cybis Studio during its almost 75-year existence was their North American Indians collection. Inaugurated as a limited series beginning in 1969, their finely detailed representations of the major Native American tribes have been widely appreciated by collectors. Boleslaw Cybis was fascinated by the native peoples of his [...]
In addition to their nativity sets and ornaments Cybis produced some child figurals known as the Holiday Children. Although made from only two basic molds they have been offered as various issues at different times. They were all non-limited editions, 5.25” high. The first was the 1980 Holiday Child who is looking down into a [...]
In 1989 the Cybis Studio introduced an annual holiday ornament series based on The Twelve Days of Christmas. All were non-limited editions. Although I do not know the exact issue prices for all of them, Cybis regularly increased their retail prices across the board. For example, the very first ornament was $175; in 1993 the [...]
After the retirement of their second 1950s nativity set, the Cybis studio did not offer anything in that genre until the 1982 introduction of a new series called The First Christmas. These are entirely different sculptures than the two sets produced during the 1950s and are original designs (not cast from commercial molds.) Three or four [...]
(Update, May 1, 2025: This post has been updated with new information and a revised title.) The Cybis studio produced three entirely different porcelain nativity sets. The first two sets were made during the 1950s and the third set began in the 1980s. This post discusses the second nativity set. In addition to the creche [...]
Cybis’ various representations of madonnas (old and newer), other religious figures and popes appear in other posts, but the studio also produced several Old Testament character portraits as well. All were limited editions and are shown below in chronological order by introduction year. The first of these was Moses ‘The Great Lawgiver’. It was an [...]
Turning now from the mythological and Shakespearean genres to a more wide-ranging overview of the literary characters as portrayed by Cybis, we find that quite a few of them are from the medieval era. The bust of Beatrice, from The Inferno, is 12” high overall and a limited edition of 700. Designed by Laszlo Ispanky, [...]
Continuing the review of Cybis’ literature-based portraits naturally leads to their interpretations of characters and creatures from Greek, Roman and Asian mythology. The actual appearance of the first two mythological studies is unknown. One, titled Greek Head, is known only from a single text list of names in the 1974 catalog; I am going to [...]
THE CYBIS ARCHIVE 