The coexistence of the Cordey and Cybis studio lines during the 1940s occasionally resulted in some interesting ‘crossover’ pieces. One such piece is a bust of a bearded elderly man, perhaps a sage, signed MC indicating it was by Marja (a/k/a Maria) Cybis, wife of Boleslaw.
This piece sold online in 2011 and these four small photographs are all that remain. The seller’s description included the fact that the underside was marked with MC, the design number 5064 (which is a Cordey format), and that the only damage was that “a missing tiny end of his beard.” Size cited as 6.5″ tall and 3.25″ wide.
There are several interesting things about this piece, not least that I can’t quite decide what kind of garb he’s supposed to be wearing; to my eyes it looks rather like what Victorian gents used to call a ‘dressing gown.’
An interesting design element is the oval-shaped “chain” around his neck which appears to be a holdover from the early 1940s papka pieces such as this sheep (yes, the studio does actually caption this long-necked creature as a Baby Sheep in Cybis in Retrospect!) Rather than being round – or as I call them, “Cheerios” – the bearded man’s is slightly elongated.
The actual mold used for the Bearded Sage (since that’s what I’ve decided to dub him) is the same that was used for at least two Cordey retail designs: a pilgrim man and a fellow that seems to be Sir Walter Raleigh.
In any case, the Bearded Sage is yet another example of a Cybis/Cordey crossover during the decade when they were all being produced in the same Church Street location.
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