Although the typical ‘awards season’ is still another month or so away, some things never really change – such as those particularly fragile areas on certain Cybis porcelain sculptures that are distressingly prone to damage. Whether the breakage happens from a not-100%-careful picking up in order to dust the cabinet shelf (I have been guilty of this myself) or from packing/unpacking for storage or shipment, there certainly are some Cybis sculptures that attract the damage gremlins far more than the others.
Whilst any porcelain sculpture can be easily broken, it helps to be aware of which ones are more likely to be, shall we say, unlucky. This is particularly important when looking at Cybis for sale online (or selling any), because sometimes neither the seller nor buyer may be aware that something isn’t in the same condition that it was when it left the studio. Here are the most notorious suspects:
Camille
If I were to give an award titled Most Easily-Damaged Cybis, Camille would absolutely win it. There are just soooooo many areas on this piece that can be damaged if she is not handled with the same care that you would give a raw egg if you had to carry it (in one hand) intact from uptown to downtown while riding the New York City subway during rush hour and then take a taxi driven by someone who is not only hung-over but just had a fight with their significant other and is still fuming about it, and, upon exiting the cab, you almost get knocked flat by a headphone-wearing delivery person on rollerblades. You get the idea.
How many areas on Camille are easily damaged? Of course, her mirror may become detached; it’s only glued in place. Let me count the other damage magnets: The pink camellias and green leaves in her hair. The lavender bow (loops and tails) on the left side of her hair. The single ringlet in front of each ear. The bow(s) between her ruffled collar and her ruffled sleeve. The lace inside those sleeves. The lace bow fastened at the center of the back of her ruffled collar. The numerous camellia flowers and small green leaves that cascade down both sides of the back of her skirt on either side of the bustle. The loops of purple ribbon between those groups of flowers and leaves. The row of camellias and leaves that run just beneath/across the bottom of her lowest bustle. And the large purple bow below them!
Given all of the potential-damage areas on Camille, it’s a minor miracle that any of them survive in 100% mint condition. (In case you are wondering: my Waterloo was one of the two lace bow ‘tails’ at the center back of her collar. I could have sworn, as I picked her up, that my finger was precisely in the space between those and her waistband. It wasn’t.)
Sleeping Beauty
This is what an unbroken headdress lace on Sleeping Beauty looks like. On others, the extent of damage can vary from almost completely gone (only the very bottom edge of the lace remains), to just the upper part of all the scallops broken off so that an almost-straight top remains, to just one or both of the central scallops missing its top. Sometimes the side scallop tops are damaged but the central ones survive somehow. With porcelain lace elements, it can take a sharp eye to distinguish a broken edge from a merely irregular one ‘as made.’ This is where the zoom function on your computer monitor comes in very handy. Because almost all lace decorations are white, it is harder to spot raw edges where break-offs have occurred. See this recent post for an in-depth look at the many examples of damage seen to the headdress lace.
Rapunzel in Lilac
The lilac colorway of Rapunzel is supposed to have three feathers atop her cap. The problem is that if the central feather (indicated by the arrow) was attached so as to be more upright (which was what the studio intended) it is much more apt to break off than examples in which that feather is more horizontal. This makes the central cap feather on this piece pretty much a breakage magnet. The three-photo collage shows this in more detail.
Complicating matters is the fact that sometimes the central feather left the studio in a more flattened position! The example here shows this; you will notice that the two leaves flanking the central rose appears to have been eliminated well. A central feather in this position is less likely to break off, although any feather on any piece can do so. However, if you keep in mind that any lilac Rapunzel should have three feathers in her cap, you will quickly spot any that no longer do.
Othello
A similar situation exists for Othello, who should have three feathers in his turban. However, he has several additional loss-gremlins: The handle of the scimitar that he holds in his right hand and his sword/scabbard (both are probably only glued in place, and may break off/go missing), the earring in his left ear, and any of the gold balls flanking his shoulder-brooch.
Desdemona
His love, Desdemona, is supposed to carry a blood-stained lace handkerchief that is – you guessed it – only glued to the palm of her right hand. Because it is lace, and pleated as well, it is highly damage-prone (either completely or just on the outer edges.)
Good Queen Anne
The three easily-damaged areas of Good Queen Anne are the pinkie finger on her left hand (which is held outward as if she was holding a teacup, rather than a rosebud); the four pink ribbon bow loops at the back of her head; and, of course, those two small ringlets. By the way, it’s not unusual to see a hint of pink paint at the very end of the ringlets, from the artist applying the slight blush to Anne’s cheeks right next to them.
Abigail Adams
The most common damage seen on Abigail Adams is that she has lost her quill pen, but she has flowers and blue ribbons at the back of her hair, and lace atop her cuffs, that require handling caution also.
Portia
Our lady lawyer Portia is often seen with damage to one or both of the ringlets on the side of her face, and to the lace trim around her neck. Her scroll might also detach. The upper and lower parts of her body are safe to touch, however! What a relief.
Ophelia
The lace on Ophelia’s cuffs is a prime candidate for breakage. It is also wise to carefully note the condition of her hair ribbons and flowers, the teardrop-shaped ‘pearls’ hanging from her puffed shoulder/sleeves, and the bouquet of flowers she carries as well.
A Star Is Born, Encore, and Figure Eight
All three of the figure skaters had huge problems with their skate blades remaining glued to the bases. If they are still there (or have been re-attached), the glue has probably yellowed. Never assume that any of these three will remain firmly attached to their ‘ice’ forever. If yours currently is, count your blessings.
Doré
Doré has a chronic tendency to lose her bowl, although I did see one painful example where it had broken off in pieces and left a large shard still stuck to her hand (ouch.) In addition, because this is a relatively small sculpture, the tiny bow-loops that decorate her hair and sleeves are incredibly thin and delicate – much more so than something similar on a larger Cybis piece would be. Doré’s bow loops and tails are very easily broken off.
Kwan Yin
Kwan Yin is in this overview because one of the three chronic areas of damage is often not spotted by sellers. The obvious ones are any petals of the flower in her hair, and one or both of the antennae on the lobster (in fact, the lobster in this photo is missing one!).
The sneaky breakage magnet here is the stem of the flower that she holds in her hand. As shown in the large photo and in this closer one, a thin green stem extends from the base of the rounded leaf next to the flower, all the way down to the tip of her forefinger. Because the stem is so delicate, it is easily broken. Sometimes only the upper part of the stem remains. Either way, unless the stem extends all the way down to her fingertip, it is damaged (or in some cases broken off entirely.)
Unicorns ‘Gambol and Frolic’
The issue with Gambol and Frolic is the multiple narrow, delicate blue ribbons and bows that decorate their manes and tails. There are tiny roses and leaves in those areas too. And of course, watch out for damage to the very tip of any Cybis unicorn’s horn!
Alexander ‘He’s the Greatest’
The problem with Alexander isn’t breakage but, rather, the ball that is glued between his tusks. That ball goes missing more often than not. There are only three very tiny attachment points for the ball, and any minor nudge could send it flying off.
The Polish Bride
There were only 100 of The Bride made, so you probably won’t come across many for sale; but if you do, it’s clear that every part of her elaborate floral headdress, and her long string of pearls, or anywhere on her lace trim, is high-risk for damage. The companion sculpture, Birth at Lowicz, has a similar headdress, and lace trim as well, but not many of those were made.
Ironically, one of the Cybis pieces that you would assume would often be found damaged, has not (thus far) appeared to be a major problem. That piece is the Crow Dancer ‘Great Thunder’, who has almost 90 (!!!) individual and very delicate small porcelain ‘pom poms’ adorning his huge headdress. You would think that there would be gaps galore, but there rarely are. See the North American Indians post for photos of him.
Decorative Elements That Can Detach and Go Missing
The following sculptures all have decorative elements that are separate small molds, either originally attached with porcelain ‘slip’ (less likely to detach) or with glue (more likely to part company, especially if subjected to temperature extremes or simply from glue desiccation or oxidation over time.) Here’s a handy list of the most common missing elements. To see photos, go to the alphabetical Index Page which has links to each sculpture’s post.
Othello’s sword (shown in photo above)
Sir Henry’s sword and shield
King Arthur’s sword
Richard the Lionheart’s chalice and/or sword
Peter Pan’s flute
Pip the Elfin Player’s flute
Court Jester’s handheld doll (top or bottom section can break off or detach)
King Solomon’s rod of office
Camille’s mirror (photo above)
Madame Butterfly’s parasol
Columbine’s mask
Abigail Adams’ quill pen (photo above)
Lady Macbeth’s hand-held crown
Portia’s scroll (photo above)
The Little Match Girl’s match (either missing. or the red tip broken off)
Although less often seen missing, the following sculptures also have separate-mold decorative elements. Examples that originally used porcelain slip for the attachment are less loss-prone than later designs or production runs on which these elements are only glued in place.
FEMALES:
*Kitri should be holding a fan; so should Good Queen Anne (and there should be a bow at the center of the back of her bodice collar too)
*First Flight should be holding a blue bird
*Elizabeth Ann should hold a rag-doll
*Vanessa should be playing a violin
*There should be a bird perched on the right hand of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair
*Young Rose/Roberta should be holding a rose in her right palm
*Wendy should be carrying a doll
*The Golden Princess should hold a golden butterfly
*Marguerite should be playing a mandolin
*Laura should be holding a large straw hat in front of her skirt
*Eleanor of Aquitaine should hold a book; so should Thumbelina, Alice in Wonderland, Little Miss Liberty, and Alice from The Childrens Hour trio
*Felicia should be playing a flute
*A hawk should perch on Berengaria’s left wrist
*Gone Fishing should be carrying a fishing rod in her left hand and two fish in her right
*Elaine, Lady of the Lake should hold a waterlily in her hands
*There should be a chipmunk standing on a log behind the Girl With Chipmunk
*Daddy’s Little Girl should be looking into a mirror
*Liberty (all versions) should hold an olive branch in her left hand, have a medallion next to her right foot, and have a flag-and-flagpole behind her
*Queen Titania should carry a butterfly
*The Lady and the Unicorn/Lady Elizabeth should hold a pomegranate in her palm
*Sharmaine the Sea Nymph should be holding a conch shell
*The pink version of Rapunzel should be holding a mirror in her lap
*On Tristan and Isolde, Isolde should be holding a goblet
MALES:
*There should be four individual baby chicks ranged around Little Jamie, plus two more inside a basket behind him
*Theron should hold a bird’s nest in his left palm
*Yankee Doodle Dandy should have a long, intact red feather in his cap, and a wooden sword
*Wee Willie Winkie should carry a lantern
*Nicky the Drummer Boy should have two drumsticks
*The Choir Boy should be holding a book; Andy should read a book in his lap
*Michael should carry a soldier doll
*Moses should cradle the Tablets of Law inside his left arm
*Each of 1980s Nativity Series’ three kings (Melchior, Balthasar, and Caspar) should carry a golden gift; the Shepherd should carry a lamb
*Hamlet should be gazing at a skull held atop his right knee
*Noah should hold a dove in his upraised right hand
*The Folk Singer should be playing a guitar
*The Soccer Player should be kicking a ball, and the Football Player should be cradling a football
*The Ring Bearer should carry a lace-trimmed pillow with two gold rings atop it
*Beau Brummel should hold a brown hat in his right hand, next to his leg
*There should be three balls on Frollo: One in each hand, and one on his hat brim
*Oberon should carry a flower
*David the Shepherd Boy should be holding a gray pigeon
*King David should be playing a lute
*Mr. President should be holding a scroll in his right hand
*Any version of the Child of Prague should be holding an orb
ANIMALS AND BIRDS:
*Lamb ‘Mandy’ should have a yellow bell attached to the front of her collar
*Each of the four Golf Bunnies should be holding a club and have a white pompom on his cap
*Bunnies Liberty and Patriot wear a hat and a large bow tie; Bunny Patrick wears a green bowler
*Huey the Harmonious Hare should carry a harmonica
*The Ski Bunny should carry two ski poles and wear one ski on his left foot
*Dandy the Dancing Dog should be leaning on a cane
*Seal ‘Sebastian’ should be encircled by a striped hoop
*Circus Dog ‘Big Top’ should wear a straw hat with a large polka-dot flower attached to it
*Mick the Melodious Mutt should hold a songbook
*Poodles Pierre and Je’taime should have a ball between their front paws
*Cal the Musical Cat should play a concertina
*Barnaby the Circus Bear should hold a trumpet that says 200th on it
*BoBo the Musical Bear should play a cello
*Chi Chi and the Bear should wear a hat with a golf club motif on one side
General Cautions
It goes without saying that any part of a floral sculpture (stamens, pistils, petals, stems and leaves) can be subject to breakage. The very small floral decorations found on so many Cybis pieces warrant the same close inspection.
The same goes for the long delicate fingers that most human sculptures (and all of the human limited editions) have. Although breakage is usually clearly evident, there is always the possibility of a bad repair having been done – so, look closely and make sure that none of the individual fingers appear thick or ‘pudgy’ compared to the others on that hand. The ‘skin’ surface of all hand elements should be equally smooth.
Several Cybis female pieces have delicate hair ringlets or curls: Portia, Queen Esther, and Good Queen Anne are a few examples. Make sure that any two ear-side ringlets ‘match’ in terms of length; a slight variation in length can easily happen in the kiln, but any noticeable difference usually indicates breakage.
And finally, any lacy decoration should be checked under magnification, although sometimes you literally ‘can’t miss it’ if there is loss along the outer edge.
Name Index of Cybis Sculptures
Visual Index (for human figures/busts only)
About the Cybis Reference Archive
What is Cybis?
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The Cybis Archive is a continually-updated website that provides the most comprehensive range of information about Cybis within a single source. It is not and never has been part of the Cybis Porcelain studio, which is no longer in business.
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