For this 250th post added to the Cybis Archive, I decided to do something special: A re-creation (as much as is possible) of the 1970-1971 New Jersey State Museum exhibit Cybis in Retrospect. However, I have also expanded the original exhibit contents to include what I believe to be some of the best representations of the Cybis studio’s output after 1971.
Cybis in Retrospect, November 21, 1970 – January 3, 1971
This is the invitation to the reception held on the exhibit’s opening night; the cover is embossed gold foil paper, to match the cover of the gold paperback exhibit catalog of the same name (at left in the lower photo; the silver foil catalog cover edition was also available for purchase from the studio until 1979, at $5 per copy.) Although the Museum does not have any contemporary photographs of the exhibit itself, Mr. Nicholas Ciotola, Curator of Cultural History, was able to supply some wonderful insight into the layout and construction of the space.
The NJSM was built during the early 1960s, so at the time of this exhibit it was not quite a decade old. The Main Galleries are on the ground floor adjacent the front entrance to the building. This portion of the Museum’s current site floorplan shows the layout. The 1970 exhibit was displayed within what is now known as Riverview Court, and is indicated by the yellow box. All of the exterior walls on this floor are glass, which means that any exhibit that includes many ‘flats’ (paintings, drawings, etc.) requires the installation of temporary walls. That is what was done for the Retrospect exhibit.
A fascinating hand-drawn floor plan showed the layout used for the exhibit; many, many thanks to the Curator for sharing it! The numbers represent the number of objects displayed in or on each space: 166 objects displayed inside display cases and 50 ‘exposed’ (i.e., hung on the temporary or permanent walls), for a total of 216 in that space. (I love the notation about the separate display case containing the Holy Child of Prague!)
Curiously, the printed catalog (Cybis in Retrospect) that accompanied the exhibit indicates with an asterisk any cited objects that were physically on display but a count via that method yields only 191, which is 25 fewer than the floorplan’s tally indicates. It’s possible that the number of objects was increased after the catalog went to print, or perhaps it was reduced after this floorplan layout was drawn.
This is an annotated floor plan based on the information shown in the hand-drawn floor plan. The two small black squares are structural supports within the room. Unfortunately, there is no record of exactly which objects the numbers represent, but we now have a good idea of what it was like to walk through that space. Again, many thanks to the New Jersey State Museum for their help in envisioning the 1970 exhibit!
Cybis in Retrospect, version 2.0
When a visitor entered the exhibit space from the entrance lobby and walked to their left, they saw the exhibit title signage and to their left a long wall displaying more than a dozen examples of ‘flats’. These drawings and paintings are cited as the first object-section heading of the exhibit’s catalog. I’ve assumed that the exhibit catalog was arranged in such a way that visitors would be able to consult it as they walked through the exhibit, i.e., that the first section of both the catalog and the exhibit itself is/was ‘Paintings and Drawings.’
Thus, I have followed the catalog’s topic section headings and provided photos (or the catalog’s description, if no photo is available) of the objects that the exhibit visitors saw. My own curatorial selections of post-1971 representative Cybis items appear after the original exhibit objects and I’ve added a small new category at the very end (the ‘Curator’s Corner’.)
The introduction year of each limited edition is given. A date range in the object description indicates that the sculpture was an open (non-limited) edition. There were no Cybis limited editions prior to 1956.
So, let’s step into our digital ‘time machine’ and begin. Welcome to Cybis in Retrospect 2.0 as the 250th addition to the Cybis Reference Archive!
PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS
Peasant Heads, oil on canvas 15” w x 24” h., circa 1920. The original painting was loaned to the exhibit from the Dayton Art Institute. It was returned to them after the exhibit closed and was subsequently de-accessioned in 1980 and consigned to Sotheby’s New York. The Cybis studio was the winning bidder and acquired it (and The Bride) at the sale on April 10, 1980. It hung in Joseph Chorlton’s office until the 2000s. What happened to these two paintings after that time is unknown.
Portrait of a Young Lady, oil on canvas, circa 1926; dimensions are unknown because this painting was represented in the exhibit only by a photograph.
Toilette, oil on canvas, circa 1928. This painting was represented in the exhibit by a photograph, and the catalog does not give the original’s dimensions.
The Bride, oil on canvas, approximately 33” x 47.5”, circa 1929 or 1930. Same situation as with Peasant Heads (the original painting was loaned to the exhibit by the Dayton Art Institute.). There seems to be no existing accurate color photograph of this painting, unfortunately, and its whereabouts today are also unknown.
Nativity/Birth at Lowicz, signed and dated July 1930. Oil and tempera on plywood, 39” h x 30” wide. This painting was represented in the exhibit by a photograph.
Libyan Women in Window, a/k/a The Meeting. Circa 1932. Mixed media (oil and cement) on plywood, 28” h x 23” wide. This painting was represented in the exhibit by a photograph.
Primavera, circa 1936, oil and tempera, 34” x x 51” h. This painting was represented in the exhibit by a photograph.
Other Boleslaw Cybis paintings of unknown appearance that were represented in the exhibit by a photograph: Boleslaw the Brave Greeting Otto (part of one of the 1939 World’s Fair murals), Stefa, Peasant Head of Man, Child, Indians Hunting Buffalo, and Indian Hunters and Wild Stallions.
There were five original drawings in the exhibit, plus three sketches that were represented only by Xerox copies. I have never seen photos of any of these. The catalog describes them as
- Twins (18” x 24” conte drawing of two trees)
- Lost (18” x 24” conte drawing of a stallion in the distance)
- Portrait of ‘Pinky’ (18” x 24” preliminary sketch in oil on gray stock for a proposed portrait)
- People of Libya (pastel and conte drawing of three Libyans, ca 1932, no dimension given)
- Vase Design (pencil and watercolor renderings of preliminary designs for vases with classical motif)
- three framed photostatic copies of 18” x 24” drawings described as Sketches of Heating Ducts circa 1940s.
There were also eleven photographs (some in color) illustrating various sections of the murals that were painted for the Polish Pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair. The catalog listed these ‘Mural Fragments’ as: Cossack and Hounds, Maiden and Hussars, Central Industrial District and Gdynia, Garland Weavers, Musical Maidens, Shield with Eagle, Wreath, Harvest, Baby, Mythological Scene of Horse-Trumpeters, and Tracing the West Polish Frontier on the Oder River. The seven murals now reside in the Polish History Museum in Warsaw.
A set of the retail edition of the Folio One was also displayed. This set of nine lithographs was introduced in 1970 as an edition of 1000 of each design.
(Many more original Boleslaw Cybis paintings and drawings can be found in this section of the Archive.)
BASKETS
This assortment of porcelain baskets, circa 1940s, was listed in the exhibit catalog as Square, 1” x 2.5”; Rectangular, 1” x 2.5”; Diamond-Shaped, 0.5” x 3.5”; and Square, 1.25” x 3.5”. Photos courtesy of the New Jersey State Museum. These were the only baskets in the exhibit.
Colonial Basket, a 1976 limited edition of 100, designed by Lynn Klockner Brown. The flowers represent the original Thirteen Colonies. The basket is 10” x 9” and is 9.5” at its highest point.
Four 1976-1977 open-edition floral baskets were based upon the limited edition. Clockwise from top left: ‘Constancy’ Cherokee Roses with Violets (5.5” h x 6” w), ‘Devotion’ Roses with Lilacs (5” h x 6” w), ‘Majesty’ Dogwood and Mountain Laurel (4.5” h x 5.5” w), and ‘Felicity’ Black-Eyed Susans with Peach Blossom and Trailing Arbutus (5.5” h x 6” w.) Marylin Chorlton chose the flowers and their arrangement in each of these baskets.
This Spring Flower Basket that sold at auction in March 2022 may have been one of a kind, and is certainly from the 1970s. It is the same mold as the Colonial Basket but uses some different flowers. The auctioneer noted that there are areas of damage.
FRESCO SCULPTURE
This was the exhibit heading chosen for many of the ‘papka’ items from the 1940s.
Braided Head, 7” high. The wood base is not part of the original sculpture
Bird on Rose Tree, 12” high. The oval base is not part of the original sculpture.
Woman’s Head with Flowers, circa 1941, 10” high. The wood base is not part of the original sculpture.
Medieval Horse, circa 1939, one of a kind, 7” high. This 2019 color photo shows it in a damaged condition compared to the 1971 catalog photograph.
Also cited as being on display:
- Horse, papka, pastel fresco decoration, 5” high
- Winged Horse, papka, pastel fresco decoration, 6” high
- Woman’s Head, composition green patina, 10” high
- Angels, papka with pastel fresco decoration in soft pink and blue, 3” high, 1940-1942. These were probably very similar to the Marja Cybis ‘fairies’ in this post!
FANTASTIQUES
Woman with Birds, bisque porcelain, 15”-16” high, circa 1943.
Bacchus, described as glazed porcelain, 14” high (the wood base is not part of the original sculpture.)
Beaked Bird Head in stained-glass (glazed) porcelain, 5” h x 11”, circa 1943.
A fourth example was described as Woman with Rose Buds, a combination of bisque, glazed, and stained-glass finishes, 14” high, early 1940s.
FOLKLORE ANIMALS
Large Llama, glazed porcelain, 14” high. The one on display was described as being ‘decorated’ but would have been cast from this same mold.
Baby Sheep, papka with fresco decoration, 8” high, early to mid 1940s. There was only one of these on display in the exhibit; this group was part of the studio’s 2019 liquidation.
Pegasus Candlestick, decorated papka(?), 7” high.
Also in the exhibit were the following nine glazed porcelain items, described as:
- Pegasus Candlestick with red and green flowers, 9” h
- Winged Horse, 8” h
- Winged Horse with black and gold color wings, 9″ h
- Horse, 9” h
- Black Unicorn, 9” h
- White Unicorn, 8” h
- Unicorn, 9” h
- Goat, 9” h
- Horse with Mane, 8” h
MISCELLANEOUS
These items were all made of porcelain and date from the 1940s.
Woman’s Head, 13” including round wood base, terracotta finish. It is uncertain whether the wood base is original or is a newer addition that suffered water damage while in the Cybis studio’s very poor storage conditions during the 1990s and 2000s.
Woman’s Head, 14”, composition with green patina, by Marja Cybis. The wood stand is definitely not part of the original sculpture.
Tea Set, black with white floral, circa 1947. The eight pieces on display were a tea pot, a sugar bowl, a creamer, two cups, two saucers, and a cookie jar.
Folk Toy, Boy with Red Hat, circa mid to late 1940s, glazed porcelain, 14” high.
Head of Saint John, 13″ high, glazed porcelain. The wood base is probably not original to the piece.
The following eight items were also in the exhibit. Five of them may be various examples of the very similar 1940s lady busts.
- Green Girl, 12” h, bisque decorated
- Girl with Roses, 12” h, bisque and glazed
- Girl with Pearls, 10” h, bisque and glazed
- Mother and Child heads, 14” h, bisque and glazed
- Gray Haired Girl, 12” h, bisque and glazed
- Girl with Violets and Roses, 10” h, bisque and glazed
- Shepherdess and Christmas Rose, 5.5” h x 18” long, white bisque
- Tea Set, yellow with brown leaves, circa 1948. This was probably the same as the black-and-white floral set shown above, but with a different decoration. Both were lent to the exhibit by Marylin Chorlton’s family. The eight pieces on display were a tea pot, a creamer, a sugar bowl, a service plate, two cups and two saucers.
RELIGIOUS SUBJECTS
Saint Peter, a supposedly-one-of-a-kind 1964 piece commissioned a gift to Pope Paul VI. Designed by Laszlo Ispanky. It is 16” high overall including the base. Another example was obviously in the 1970 exhibit, and a partially-painted/unfinished example also appeared in one of the studio’s 2019 liquidation auction lots.
Holy Child of Prague, a 1956 limited edition of 10 (reduced from 25), standing 25” high overall on its marble and porcelain bases. At least we know where this object was placed in the 1970-71 exhibit!
Moses, The Great Lawgiver, a 1963 limited edition of 750 designed by Laszlo Ispanky, 20” high on base.
Holy Ghost (Dove) was described in the catalog as ‘porcelain, bisque white and stained-glass decoration on round wood plaque, 8”, circa 1954.” This was probably the same mold as on the Holy Ghost Holy Water Font shown in this post.
Noah, a 1975 limited edition of 500, 21” high.
Saint Peter, a 1981 limited edition of 500, 17” high.
The Pope (John Paul II) was offered in multiple edition sizes and colorways, the first being a 1989 limited edition of 100 in color and 200 in plain white bisque. Those are 14” h x 12” wide upon the wood base which is not visible in this photograph. See this post for a breakdown and photos of the other editions’ dimensions, sizes, quantities and prices.
HISTORICAL REPRODUCTIONS
These reproductions were undoubtedly either inspired by or cast directly from items in Boleslaw and Marja Cybis’ personal collection. See the Historical Reproductions post for additional examples of this genre of Cybis.
Spatterware cited in the catalog as octagonal coffee pot, octagonal creamer, octagonal sugar bowl, small creamer, miniature mug, dinner plate, salad plate, toddy plate, cup plate, handle-less cup, saucer. Representative samples shown above.
Adams Rose, cited in the catalog as dinner plate, salad plate, toddy plate, tea pot, sugar bowl, creamer, handle-less cup. The larger plate here is the Adams Rose design.
Cabbage Rose, cited in the catalog as toddy plate, salad plate, cup. The smaller plate in the previous photo is this design.
Flat Rose, cited in the catalog as salad plate, tea pot, sugar bowl.
Butterfly, cited in the catalog as toddy plate, salad plate, saucer. Representative sample of a salad plate shown here.
Ship Toddy Plate Reproduction, blue and white with eagles, 5” diameter.
Ship Cup Plate Reproduction, white, 3” diameter. Shown at left in the photo.
Pressed Ship Cup Plate Reproduction, Octagonal, blue and white, 3” diameter. Shown at right in the previous photo.
Pressed Henry Clay Cup Plate Reproduction, blue and white, 3” diameter.
Pressed Six-Pointed Star Cup Plate Reproduction, blue and white, 3” diameter.
Pressed Scalloped Eagle Cup Plate Reproduction, blue and white, 3” diameter.
Round Cup Plate Reproduction with Painted Eagle, blue and white, 3” diameter.
Pressed Eight-Pointed Star Scalloped Cup Plate Reproduction, blue and white, 3” diameter.
BOXES
This exhibit category also included a couple of giftware/decor items.
Egg Box, 4” high, circa 1950s.
Round Powder Box with Bird, 3” high, circa 1950s.
Heart Box in two sizes, circa 1950s.
Wedding Bell, 3.5” high, circa 1950s.
Also in the exhibit but no photos found:
- Floral Bouquet relief plaque, 12” diameter, described as glazed, circa 1940s. This is probably the plaque that was indicated by a number 1 at the end of the uppermost left corner of the left-hand exhibit wall.
- Oval Dish, 8”, glazed color, circa 1950s
- Tray with Lizard, 6”, white bisque, ca. 1950s
Later Cybis items that would also fit into this category:
Lidded Heart Box ‘Thinking of You’, 1975-1976 in different colorways. This is the Pastel version. These are 3” high and approximately 4”x4”.
Rose Jar, 1975-1977, available in either plain white bisque or color; 5” high with lid.
Bonbonniere/Baptismal Shell, 1975-1977, available in either pink or blue.
Annual Decorative Eggs, 1983-1986, between 5” and 6” high. In this photo, from left to right: 1986, 1984, 1985, 1983. Probably designed by George Ivers.
Gemini Bowl, 1983-1990s, 3.75” high and 7.5” wide. Designed by George Ivers.
‘Four Seasons’ relief plaques, framed behind glass, 7.5” diameter plaques in 11.25” frames with a moire silk lining. The final edition size was 60 of each season (reduced from 100).
Spring Promise and Summer Dreams, released in 1982.
Autumn Glow and Winter Song, released in 1983.
BIRDS
Great Horned Owl, 1956-1968, approximately 18” high. This is not an original Cybis design/mold.
Baby Owl, 1957 onward, 4.25” high. Possibly sculpted by Patricia Eakin.
Turtle Doves ‘Doves of Peace’, a limited edition of 500 in 1957, 12” high on base. Sculpted by Patricia Eakin and Marylin Chorlton.
Cerulean Warbler with Azalea, 1960-1965, 6” high x 7” wide.
Bridled Titmouse, exhibit had the male bird only. I am showing both because without a color photo I cannot tell which one was the male! These were open editions produced from 1960-1965 and sold separately. Approximately 6” high.
Little Blue Heron, a 1960 limited edition of 500, 19.5” high, designed by Laszlo Ispanky.
Carolina Paroquet pair, sold separately 1962-1965, open editions; male is 8” high, female is 6”.
Crown Crested Crane, supposedly one-of-a-kind that was made for the 1964 World’s Fair Cybis display. 16.5” high on base. It is not known what happened to it after the 1971 Retrospect exhibit ended. It was not on display at the studio during the 1990s.
Blue Headed Vireo with Lilac pair, a 1967 limited edition of 275 (reduced from 500), 12” high on base. Designed by Lynn Klockner Brown. The lilacs were later used in the Colonial Basket.
American Screech Owl with Virginia Creeper, a 1969 limited edition of 500, 13” high on wood base. I have never seen any other photo of this piece. This was the most recent bird that was displayed in the 1970s exhibit.
Great Horned Owl ‘Koo Koos Koos’, a 1975 limited edition of 150 in white and 50 in color. 20” high on attached wood base. Sculpted by Charles Oldham.
Kestrel, a 1977 limited edition of 175 (reduced from 350), 18” high on the wood base and 14” wide overall.
Australian Sulfur-crested Cockatoo, a 1984 limited edition of 25 by Susan Clark Eaton, modelled after her own birds. Stands 25” high on base x 25” wide.
Gyrfalcon, a 1987 limited edition standing 24.5” high, sculpted by Charles Oldham. There is some confusion regarding the edition size; one piece of Cybis literature says 25, another says 100.
Swans in Motion pair, a 1988 limited edition of 100 as a pair. The studio later offered them separately as well. When displayed together as shown here, the pair is almost 22” high and 38” wide on their bases. Sculpted by Charles Oldham.
ANIMALS
Bull ‘God of the Thunderbolt’, a 1960 limited edition of 100, 12” h x 14” wide including attached wood base. Designed by Laszlo Ispanky.
Two Lambs, 1960-1962, 5.5” high on attached base. Cast from a circa-1950s Holland Mold Company mold.
Fox, 1963-1965, approximately 3” high x 6” wide on base. Produced as white bisque and also as glazed color.
Stallion, a 1968 limited edition of 350 (reduced from 500) by Lynn Klockner Brown, 10” high on attached wood base.
Sir Henri Escargot, 1968-1972, 3” high.
Unicorn, a 1969 limited edition of 500, 15” high on base, sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
Darby and Joan, 1969-1973, sculpted by Susan Clark Eaton. They are attached to each other and 9.5” high, not including the accompanying velvet-topped wood base.
Deer Mouse ‘In Clover’, 1970-1973, 3.5” high, also sculpted by Susan Clark Eaton.
There was also a circa-1950s Fawn in the exhibit, cited as being 4” high.
American White Buffalo, a 1975 limited edition of 250, 13.5” high and 18” long. This was a porcelain adaptation of a vintage bronze. The separate and very heavy solid mahogany base accompanied it.
Decorated Horse’s Head ‘Satin’, a 1978 limited edition of 500 by Lynn Klockner Brown, 13” high on attached base.
Arctic Fox, a 1980 limited edition of 100, sculpted by Charles Oldham, 20” tall.
Dall Sheep, a 1982 limited edition of 50, sculpted by Charles Oldham; an impressive 19.5” tall. That is a very tall Dall! (sorry)
Kittens ‘Ruffles and Truffles’, a 1983 limited edition of 400 or less, 5.5” high x 10” wide; sculpted by Charles Oldham.
Foxes ‘Chatsworth and Sloane’, a 1986 limited edition of 200. Sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown using two young foxes that she was currently fostering at the time as her models.
White-Tailed Deer, a 1986 limited edition of 50 sculpted by Jerry Klein. This group is 19” tall and 28” wide.
The limited-edition Carousel series began in 1973 with the Carousel Horse and Carousel Goat, both designed by Susan Eaton as were most of the ensuing carousel pieces over the next decade. See the Carousel Horses and Carousel Animals posts for a series overview.
STORYBOOK CHILDREN
Peter Pan, 1958-1967 for white bisque, and 1970 for color. Designed by Laszlo Ispanky, 7” high.
Tinker Bell, 1959-1970, 7.5” high.
Cinderella, 1960-1968, 7.5” high.
Dawn, 10.5” high and designed by Laszlo Ispanky. Cybis literature conflicts regarding the production years; one says 1960-1964 and the other says 1962-1966.
Ballerina ‘On Cue’, 1963-1970, 12.5” high on the accompanying (and very much required) base.
Springtime, 1963-1969, 5” high.
Robin Hood, 1964-1967, 10 tall.
Little Princess, 1968-1970, 10” high. This was the most recent ‘child’ piece in the 1970 exhibit.
Betty Blue, 1974-2000s, 9″ tall. Along with stalwarts such as the Baby Owl, Mr. Snowball, and ‘Funny Face’, she was one of the few Cybis open editions that were never retired. Designed by Dolores Valenza.
Rapunzel, 8” high; each issue was a limited edition of 1000. From left to right: Rapunzel (pink) in 1972; Rapunzel (apricot) in 1975; and Rapunzel (lilac) in 1978.
Hansel (9”) by William Pae, and Gretel (7”) by Marylin Chorlton, 1974-1976, sold separately.
Fleurette, a 1981 limited edition of 1000, 8.25” high.
Jack and the Beanstalk, a 1984 limited edition of 750 sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
Rose Red, a 1986 limited edition of 750, 5.5” high.
Rose White, a 1986 limited edition of 750, 8.5” high.
MADONNAS AND ANGELS
Madonna with Bird, 1956-1986, 11” high on base, designed by Laszlo Ispanky.
Madonna ‘House of Gold’, 1957-1965, 14” high x 9” wide on base. Sculpted by Harry Burger.
Angels in Adoration pair, 1953-1965, 14” high. These were sold only as a pair.
Kneeling Angels pair, 1958-1965, 5.5” high. Made in various finishes (white bisque, bisque color, glazed color.) This pair illustrates the bisque color/decorated.
Also in the exhibit: a Madonna and Child, glazed, 19.5” high, and a Cherubs, pair from the mid-1950s, described as 5” high and which were possibly wall-mounted.
I have no idea why none of the early-1940s papka Angelic Orchestra pieces were included in the exhibit, nor why the original 1950s Queen of Angels was not included either.
Adoration, 1981 to mid-1980s open edition that was available either in color or in plain white bisque; 6” high.
Nativity Angel I (a/k/a Nativity Angel Kneeling), 1984 onward, 6.5” high. This was the first of several angels added to the 1980s nativity series; the others were not as well designed.
Little Angel, 1986-1990s, 7.5” high, sculpted by William Pae.
Madonna with Lily, a 1987 intended limited edition of 1000 that was not completed; 12.5” high on wood base.
Madonna with Rose, 1990-2000s, available with or without the separate oval porcelain base. Height is either 7” or 8” depending on base choice.
PERSONAGES
Exodus, a 1960 limited edition of 50 designed by Laszlo Ispanky. Cited as 18” high and 13” wide but uncertain whether that dimension includes the base.
Juliet, a 1965 limited edition of 800, 12” high on base, sculpted by Laszlo Ispanky.
Hamlet, a 1965 limited edition of 500, 12” tall.
Columbia, a 1967 edition of 200, 15” high x 7.5” wide on base.
Ophelia, a 1969 limited edition of 800, 13” tall. She was the most recent example of this category in the 1970 exhibit.
Chinese Goddess ‘Kwan Yin’, a 1972 limited edition of 350 (reduced from 750), 13.5” high overall. Sculpted by Harry Burger.
Nefertiti, a 1979 limited edition of 500, 12” high. The skin color can vary between individual examples of this sculpture.
Persephone, a 1982 limited edition of 200 sculpted by William Pae. This is the original sculpture, not the later downsized replica editions.
Camille, a 1983 limited edition of 500, 14” tall. From the Alexandre Dumas novel.
Queen Guinevere, a 1983 limited edition of 500, 10” high, sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
King Arthur, a 1985 limited edition of 350, 14” tall and 10” deep because of the cape. Sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
Sir Henry, a 1986 limited edition of 350, 16” tall.
Swan Lake’s Odette, a 1988 limited edition of 100, 14″ high x 16″ wide
FLOWERS
Golden Clarion Lily, a 1961 limited edition of 100, 11″ high on base.
Blush Orchid, 1963-1965, 6” high, produced in color and also in white bisque. Photos courtesy of the New Jersey State Museum.
Rose, 1964-1969 in this yellow colorway, 5” high.
Calla Lily, a 1968 limited edition of 500, 16.5” high set into accompanying base.
Clematis with House Wren, a 1969 limited edition of 350 (reduced from 500), 12” high, sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
The Dutch Crocus was produced in two named colorways: ‘Golden Goblet’ and ‘Blue Enchantress’. It is 8.5” x 10” on the attached base and was designed by Lynn Klockner Brown. The 1970 declared limited edition of 700 originally covered both colorways, but that quantity was later halved to 350 total. It is not known how many examples of each color were made, nor whether an example of both colorways was in the 1971 exhibit.
Mushroom ‘Jack-o-Lantern’, 1970-1972, 7” high.
I have no idea why the Dahlia was not part of the original exhibit and so am breaking protocol in order to include it now. It certainly deserves inclusion! A 1964 limited edition of 350, it is 12” high on its base and required approximately 100 hand-formed petals to construct the flower.
Spring Bouquet, a 1982 limited edition of 200 created by Lynn Klockner Brown. It is 9.5” high and probably 10” wide because it is attached to the Dutch Crocus base.
Love Song Rose, a 1984 limited edition of 50 (reduced from 100). It is uncertain whether all of them came with (or on) a base. Height is between 6” and 8”, width is 10” because this again utilized the Crocus/Spring Bouquet wood base.
Camellia ‘Pink Taffeta’, a 1986 limited edition of 50, 9” high x 7” wide. This was produced for only one year and was the only Camellia study ever released by Cybis.
Pink Dogwood ‘Blush of Spring’, a 1986 limited edition of 100 using the branch mold from the much earlier open-edition Wood Wren with Dogwood.
INDIANS
Blackfeet ‘Beaverhead Medicine Man’, a 1969 limited edition of 350, 11.5” x 9.5” on base, sculpted by Helen Granger Young.
Dakota ‘Laughing Water’ Minnehaha, a 1969 limited edition of 350, 11” x 9” on base, sculpted by Helen Granger Young.
Onondaga ‘Hiawatha’, a 1969 limited edition of 350, 11” on base, sculpted by Helen Granger Young.
Cree ‘Magic Boy’ in white bisque, a 1971 limited edition of 100, 15” high on base. Sculpted and copyrighted by Helen Granger Young in 1962.
Comanche Chief Medallion created for the facing page of the 1970 Folio One lithograph editions, 2.5” diameter. Based on the Folio One Comanche, Indomitable Spirit lithograph.
Selected subsequent North American Indians series examples:
Iroquois ‘At the Council Fire’ Dekanawide and Atotarho, a 1973 limited edition of 225 (reduced from 350), 12” high on base, sculpted by Helen Granger Young.
Crow Dancer ‘Great Thunder’, a 1977 limited edition of 200, 19” high on base, sculpted by Helen Granger Young.
Sioux ‘Wankan Tanka’ The Great Spirit, a 1979 limited edition of 200, 18.25” tall on base. Sculpted and copyrighted by Helen Granger Young in 1968.
Pueblo, Eagle Dancer, a 1984 limited edition of 200, 20.75” high on base. Sculpted by William Pae.
SPECIALS
This category appears to have been meant for pieces created to commemorate an event or specific person.
Tranquility Base ‘Apollo 11 Moon Mission’, a 1970 limited edition of 111 for retail sale. It is 18” high overall.
Eleanor of Aquitaine, a 1971 limited edition of 750, 13” tall. Originally commissioned by AVCO Embassy pictures to honor Katharine Hepburn’s role in The Lion in Winter.
Those are the only two items under the ‘Specials’ heading in the 1970-71 exhibit catalog.
Eve with Cain and Abel, a 1974 sculpture sample by Marylin Chorlton that was subsequently requested by First Lady Betty Ford to be reserved for her exclusive use as an official gift. Reported as 16” tall x 11” diameter on its wood base. At least five are known to have been made; see this post for all of the particulars.
George Washington Bust, 1975-1980, 13” high on base. Originally commissioned by the Bicentennial Council, whose logo appears on the attached medallion.
Commemorative Chess Set, a 1979 limited edition of 10 sets that included a chess board and carrying case. This retail set differs slightly in decoration from the original 1972 set given to Russia by the Nixon White House. The pieces themselves were created in 1949 by Harry Burger. See this post for full details.
The Bride, a 1980 limited edition of 100, based on the original circa-1930 Boleslaw Cybis painting, 18” high x approximately 12” in diameter.
Liberty, a 1985 limited edition of 100, 17.5” tall on base. This is the original edition, not the later downsized replicas. Created to support the Liberty Park Monument Committee’s restoration efforts.
Knight in Shining Armor, a 1989 limited edition originally declared as 25 but only 10 are confirmed to have been made. Created by Lynn Klockner Brown, 25” high and 18.5” wide.
Cybis Cupid/Cherub/Award Bowl, an open-edition retail piece introduced in 1992 based upon a 1950s piece that may or may not have been made by Boleslaw or Marja Cybis. It is probably about 8” high and slightly more wide. See this post for its convoluted history. The one pictured here is the 1990s retail edition.
Millennium Ornament, 2000-2008, and probably 4”-5” in diameter.
CURATOR’S CORNER
The 2024 Curator (who in this case is me) has reserved a corner display for a few personal-favorite sculptures not included in the original or the expanded exhibit.
Blue Vireo Building Nest, 1960-1965, 8.5” high. Although the bird mold is not a Cybis original design, the exquisite blue paint color and technique, along with the delicacy of the hand-formed ‘spaghetti’ porcelain nest, set this open edition apart from the typical 1950s-early 1960s Cybis avian flock.
Kitten with Blue Ribbon, 1967-1969, 6” high x 9” wide. Sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
Lady Macbeth, a 1975 limited edition of 750, 13” high. This is the original sculpture, not the later downsized replica editions.
The Lady and the Unicorn, a 1976 limited edition of 750, 10.25” high, sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown.
Lady Godiva, a 1982 limited edition of 200, 13” high, sculpted by Lynn Klockner Brown. This example is a custom colorway.
April, the 1983 retailer-event decorative variation of the 1967 open edition Pandora which the studio had just retired after sixteen years. April was produced as a run of 400 numbered pieces. This was the second retailer-event variation of Pandora, the first being a blue-trim colorway during the early 1970s. IMHO April is much the nicer of the two variants.
Cleopatra Bust, a 1989 intended edition of 1000 that was not completed, 9” high.
Again, many thanks to the New Jersey State Museum for their invaluable help regarding the details of the original 1970 exhibit’s space. There will be an Archive post about their collection of Cybis later this year. I hope you have enjoyed this updated virtual tour of Cybis in Retrospect!
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.
THE CYBIS ARCHIVE 