Because the Cybis studio ultimately ran amok with their ‘Collections’ categories, I think it’s time to create a final and definitive overview of which sculptures – based on logic and reason – are connected to the various holidays and celebrations. I have based this solely on the appearance of the sculpture; the assignments have nothing to do with whatever Collection category the Cybis studio ever opted to advertise a sculpture in, nor what name the studio assigned to it. This is why, for example, Eros doesn’t appear in the Valentine’s Day list: Someone who has no idea who he represents would not purchase him specifically as a gift for that holiday.
Another qualification is that they must have been original designs (i.e., not cast from molds created by other companies.) This eliminates all of the 1950s pieces. Some people might quibble with that but, in the words of a certain POTUS, in this venue I’m the decider. ;-)
Holidays
Let’s take an imaginary shopping trip through all of the known Cybis retail items as we also travel through the calendar! These were all open (non-limited) editions unless noted.
NEW YEAR’S DAY
No specific Cybis sculpture for this holiday other than the Millenium Ornament in 2000.
MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY: No sculptures related.
VALENTINE’S DAY
The earliest would definitely be the Lidded Heart Box ‘Thinking of You’ which appeared in 1975 as a new design. Color variations were offered in 1976 as well.
1987 saw most of the Valentine-themed items appear, although only two of the six introductions were new designs; the other four were decorative variations of existing open editions.
Baby Rhino ‘Love is Blind’ is a decorative variation of Baby Rhino ‘Monday’ which was designed by Susan Clark Eaton.
Bunny ‘Heartfelt’ is a decorative variation of Snowflake. This one could be had in either white or brown.
The Romance Heart Box was one of the two new designs.
Cupid with Heart was the other original piece.
Little Heart is a decorative variation of Clarissa. The heart in her hand is the same mold as Heartfelt‘s locket.
Poodle ‘Je Taime’ is a decorative variation of Pierre the Performing Poodle sculpted by Sue Eaton.
Unicorn ‘Tender Feelings’, introduced in 1988 and produced only for a couple of years, is a decorative variation of Unicorn ‘Sir Bailey’ which was designed by Susan Eaton.
This circa-2002 cherub on cloud with heart was probably an on-site-sales piece. It is the infant mold from the 1950s House of Gold madonna and child, with a pair of wings added to his back, plopped onto a rather gloppy-looking/whipped-cream-shaped cloud mold with a small red (possibly glass) heart stuck into it. You can probably tell that I am not a fan of this particular “design” effort!
PRESIDENTS DAY
The George Washington Bust (1975-1980) is instantly identifiable as to subject, although most people would puzzle over what the medallion means.
Mr. President was a declared edition of 500 in 1987. I have only ever seen this one example for sale.
Cybis never commemorated Abraham Lincoln.
PURIM
Queen Esther is specifically associated with this Jewish holiday. Designed by Dolores Valenza, she was an edition of 750 in 1974.
SAINT PATRICK’S DAY
There were only three St.-Pat’s-day items by Cybis. All were decorative variations of existing bunny editions.
Bunny ‘Patrick’ appeared in 1986. He is a decorative variation of Snowflake.
The other two appeared in 1991 or 1992; both are variants of Bon Bon. I have a photo of only one of them but they are almost identical. Puttin’ on the Irish was simply Bon Bon with a green bowtie added. The name was a play on Puttin’ on the Ritz which is Bon Bon with a black bowtie.
Begorrah Bunny merely added a straw hat to Puttin’ on the Irish. (it looks gold here but is actually green, supposedly.)
EASTER
Although there were several crucifixes and other Christian-motif Easter pieces, all of them were 1950s items and thus not original designs. The later items are all secular.
The earliest of these is one of the 1972 Limnettes by George Ivers, titled Easter Egg Hunt. This is the only Cybis piece that was titled as being an Easter item specifically. As explained in the Limnettes post, these were part of a limited-edition series called When Bells are Ringing. Each of the four designs was an edition of 500.
The other Easter-related (in most peoples’ minds) Cybis were the four annual eggs offered in 1983 through 1986, also designed by George Ivers.
The 1985 egg was resurrected in 1990, underwent a repaint, and was introduced as the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Egg. In 1993 it was re-named Egg Embellished with Gold. Personally, I think this has far too much bling to be an Easter item but that’s just me.
An argument could be made that many of the bunnies could be considered Easter items, but because none of them was ever paired with an egg representation – which indeed would have qualified it as an ‘Easter bunny’ – the bunnies fit more easily into either the wildlife or the anthropomorphic categories.
However, I will stretch it to include A Tisket, A Tasket but only because the vase is in the shape of a basket (bunnies + basket -> easter basket -> easter bunny)!
PASSOVER: I have corrected my initial post that incorrectly associated several Cybis pieces with this holiday.
MOTHERS DAY
Only one item was specifically created for this holiday: the 1987 Mother’s Day Plate, originally advertised as ‘A Mother’s Love’.
During the same year, First Born ‘Virginia Dare’ appeared as a Constitutional Collection item. However, anyone who doesn’t know the name or backstory would assume that this is either a Mother’s Day or new-baby item.
MEMORIAL DAY: No specific Cybis sculptures.
FATHERS DAY: It would have been nice if the studio had done something for this one…
JUNETEENTH/FREEDOM DAY: did not exist at that time.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
We have a plethora of Cybis that would make appropriate July 4th items, in spite of the fact that only one of them was specifically identified as such.
But first, let’s address the question of Columbia. If the name/event plaque on the front were lost (and there have been a few in that condition), would she be instantly recognizable as a symbol of the United States by most people? Honestly, I’m not sure. Yes, the bald eagle is a big clue, but what about the shield? If it were similar to the Great Seal of the United States, no problem…but it isn’t. To be honest, I have no idea what it represents (if you know, there’s a contact form link at the bottom of the post.)
Columbia was the very first personification of the United States, in 1738, and she was also known as the Goddess of Liberty. The Cybis piece doesn’t really look like the original, who was depicted wearing a Phrygian cap and holding a stars-and-stripes shield. Because I think that many people would struggle to guess who a plaque-less Columbia is supposed to be, she probably isn’t identifiable enough for this holiday. But, including for completeness and interpretation!
Conversely, the 1972 Independence Celebration limited-edition Limnette is more than clear enough!
Carousel Horse ‘Ticonderoga’ was a limited edition produced in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Designed by Susan Clark Eaton. (The later Carousel Pony ‘Patriot’ would never be identifiable as a USA-themed piece if his name was unknown.)
The Egg Vase with Eagle Lid was a 1976 item.
The red, white and blue colorway of the Lidded Heart Box was a 1976 item also.
The original limited-edition Liberty appeared in 1985; there were only 100 of these made. Two replica editions followed which are smaller and decorated differently. The first replica/Hall of Fame edition appeared in 1990, of which there were meant to be 500 but far fewer were made. The second replica iteration followed in 1991; that one was not limited. Photos of all three editions can be seen in the Born in the USA post.
Little Miss Liberty, a/k/a Little Miss America, first appeared in 1985. She was created by William Pae.
Most people will recognize the American Bald Eagle as our national bird. Cybis’ 1986 edition of 300 was created by Charles Oldham.
The studio introduced several new designs in 1987 to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Constitution. Any of these would be a workable Independence Day item as well.
The Eagle Bowl was designed jointly by Steve Zuczek and George Ivers. It is barely five inches high and about nine inches long.
The Liberty Bell was created by William Pae. This is another small piece (4” tall and 3.5” wide.)
The other 1987 item was the Stars and Stripes Heart Box. This is the same basic mold that the studio also used for their Romance Heart Box introduction the same year.
This 1990 open edition Young Eagle was re-named Bald Eagle in 1993.
Two patriotic bunnies were in the Cybis lineup. First came Bunny ‘Liberty’ in 1991; he is a decorative variation of Bon Bon, of course.
In the early 2000s the studio marketed this slightly different colorway of Liberty as Bunny ‘Patriot.’
LABOR DAY: Nope, I got nuthin’.
COLUMBUS DAY: Ditto.
VETERANS DAY
A case can be made for Snowflake, Desert Storm Commemorative here, as well as for Little Miss America with Yellow Ribbon in more general terms. This of course assumes that the yellow ribbon/troops connection is recognized.
THANKSGIVING
The only two Cybis sculptures that would readily identify with Thanksgiving are the two editions of the 1976 American Wild Turkey and the American White Turkey. This was the creation of Charles Oldham. There were 100 made of each colorway.
CHRISTMAS (RELIGIOUS)
The first Cybis nativity series, created from Atlantic Mold Company molds during the 1950s, can be viewed here. The separate Pillar of Families is in the post also.
All of the modern (post-1950s) Cybis nativity-related items were open editions. The first was Adoration in 1981.
The second nativity series, titled The First Christmas, began in 1982 and is shown in its entirety in this post. The series eventually included a number of items that on their own would not be identifiable as nativity-related. The unmistakable ones are Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the three kings/wise men/magi, the Shepherd, and the Camel(s).
In 1989 the studio introduced the Holy Family Plate.
The 1992 Holy Family group is comprised of the first three individual figures from the 1982 nativity series launch, on a single base.
CHRISTMAS (SECULAR)
These were all open editions, with one exception which I almost didn’t include but will explain why later.
In 1978, the original 1976 Child Clown Head ‘Funny Face’ received a holiday sibling: Funny Face with Holly. The face sculpt was by Marylin Chorlton and the hat by William Pae.
The next secular holiday item was the Holiday Child in 1980. Later variations followed, all of which are described in their own post.
In the 1980s the studio began an intermittent series of holiday bells.
The Reindeer Ornament appeared in 1984. This may have been a George Ivers design.
In 1986, the recently-introduced Valentine (Girl Clown Head) companion to Funny Face acquired a sister: Valentine with Holly.
Of the three 1987 holiday introductions, two were new designs: the Victorian Santa Plate was one.
The Holiday Dove was the Wedding Dove with a painted sprig of holly added. The wedding doves were created by Lynn Klockner Brown.
The Holiday Rose with Holly was the other original design in 1987.
A holly-decorated Baby Owl appeared in the late 1980s as Owl ‘Snowy.’
This bunny originally appeared at the same time titled Mr. Holly, which was later revised to the obvious Mr. Snowball with Holly.
The Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments were introduced yearly starting in 1989. See this post for detailed views and commentary.
Unicorn ‘Mistletoe’ is a SLIGHTLY tweaked Unicorn ‘Tender Feelings’ which was a decorative variation of Susan Eaton‘s Unicorn ‘Sir Bailey.’ Mistletoe appeared circa 1989.
1990 saw with-holly versions of bunnies Jellybean, Snowflake, and Bunnykins appear. A price list also mentions holly versions of the four Golf Bunnies, though I have never seen a photo of any.
When Bunny ‘Cuddles’ was introduced in 1991, a holiday version was available also.
In 1993, the Bear Cub, sitting acquired this with-holly sibling. There was also a Golfer Bear with Holly which I suspect is this same bear but with a golf club placed between his paws (which begs the question: Why?).
Bunny ‘Bon Bon’ was the last rabbit to get a holly decoration (in 1993.) He looks rather uncomfortable, I think! His holly leaves are the only ones that are different molds from those that were applied to the other bunnies and bears.
During the early 2000s, Bon Bon with Santa Hat appeared. I feel sorry for poor Bon Bon, made to work so hard to provide all those variations!
The final (and I do mean final) sculptures released by the Cybis studio were both holiday items, in 2008 which was the last time that their website was updated before disappearing. This is the Partridge Ball Ornament. This example is damaged on the top.
The 2008 Carousel Reindeer is the piece that I was uncertain about including. Yes, it’s a reindeer and we do associate reindeer with this season. However (and maybe it’s the influence of Frozen here) does a reindeer inevitably mean ‘Christmas’? The colorway of the reindeer’s trappings are not classic holiday colors, so I’m not convinced that this piece truly belongs in the Christmas category. Carousel, yes; holiday, well, not so much. The declared edition was 750 which I would bet any amount of money was never remotely produced. Only ONE has ever come up for sale online and that was #20.
The Cybis studio never commemorated the three other December holidays (Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Yule.)
Milestones
The Cybis studio celebrated three of the commonly-acknowledged five major life milestones in porcelain.
GRADUATION
The male and female Bunny grads appeared in 1988. Of course, both of these are Bon Bon!
WEDDING
The wedding genre was completely ignored by Cybis until 1987 and 1988. The final wedding item appeared in 1990.
The 1987 Bride (Commemorative) and 1988 companion Bridegroom have their own Archive post in a desperate attempt to explain their complicated edition history! Both of them were sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
The Bride and Groom (miniature) piece is only seven inches high, thus small enough to be used as a cake topper.
The Flower Girl and the Ring Bearer showed up in 1988. They are companion pieces to the Bride and Groom (Miniature). The Flower Girl was repurposed during the 1990s for the Collectors’ Society.
The Bridal Centerpiece/Cake Topper was designed by Lynn Klockner Brown.
The Wedding Heart Box is the same as the Romance Heart Box but with two rings replacing the corner flower. The colorway is more attractive as well.
The 1990 wedding-genre finale was Here Comes the Bride. She is 7.5” high and was available in a choice of blonde, brunette, or red hair.
NEW BABY AND/OR CHRISTENING
The first entry in this category was a limited edition; the others are not.
The 1967 Baby Bust was originally supposed to be an edition of 500, but it had such a proclivity of exploding in the kiln that production was stopped after only 239 were made.
The open-edition Baby Boy Head and Baby Girl Head appeared during that same year…and were promptly retired in 1968, for reasons unknown.
This was originally called Bonbonniere/Baptismal Shell when it was produced in 1975, 1976 and 1977 in a choice of pink or blue. The studio resurrected it in 1990 from backstock and called it Baptismal Font.
Lullaby, Baby on Moon dates from 1986. This could be had in either pink, blue, or ivory which must have been handy for baby-shower gifting.
The 1987 First Born, Virginia Dare, shown in the Mothers Day section, would also fit into this category.
The 1992 Baby in Cradle was originally the infant Jesus in the 1981 Adoration which means it’s quite small (2” x 3.5”). For this purpose, it, too, was available in pink, blue, or ivory.
And there we have it. An updated ‘holidays and celebrations’ collection of Cybis for the 21st century!
Name Index of Cybis Sculptures
Visual Index (for human figures/busts only)
About the Cybis Reference Archive
What is Cybis?
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