Among the unusual 1940s 'papka' composition figures by Cybis is a charming group of six angels, each playing an instrument, called the Angelic Orchestra. They were listed, but not pictured, in the 1971 museum exhibit catalog Cybis in Retrospect. Each angel is approximately 14" high and dates from the earliest years of the Cybis studio. [...]
As shown in this Archive post, occasionally items from the 1940s are found with either a dual signature (Cordey plus Cybis) on the piece; or, in a very few instances and as shown in this post, a standard Cordey item has been found bearing the M.B. Cybis signature instead. There aren't many of either, but [...]
There is a small group of Cybis pieces that depart noticeably from the 'recognizably Cybis' retail design aesthetic. All of them were created during the first half of the 1960s and designed by Laszlo Ispanky. Flight Into Egypt is 13" high and was offered in 1960 in white bisque only. It is attached to a [...]
This final category of religious studies in Cybis porcelain looks at their saint figures as well as miscellaneous items such as plaques and holy water fonts. The vast majority of the items shown below date from the 1950s. All of them were open (non-limited) editions except for the 1981 limited edition of Saint Peter. The [...]
Despite the fact that the Cybis studio produced numerous religious studies since the early 1950s, they only produced one papal portrait: a bust of Pope John Paul II. There was only a single design/mold but it was produced in four separate editions and sizes at different times. All editions were titled The Pope and differ [...]
Given the Cybis Studio's roots in Eastern Europe it isn't surprising that they produced several iterations of the famed 16th century statue long associated with the city of Prague, Czech Republic (although it is said to have originally been made in Spain.) The original statue dating from the mid 1500s is 19" high, carved from [...]
Angels and cherubs emerged from the Cybis studio ever since its earliest days in 1940s New York where Boleslaw and Marja Cybis created their frescoes and sculptures. The angels below are listed chronologically. None of them were limited editions. An intriguing group of six angels produced between 1940 and 1942 in “papka” composition was 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 [...]
THE CYBIS ARCHIVE 