In 2016, when I wrote my ‘All at Sea’ post describing the various ocean-related Cybis porcelains, I ended it with this sentence: Regarding other denizens of the deep, Cybis never chose to portray (as did Boehm, several times) any fish as the piece’s main subject — which does seem like rather a missed opportunity! Well, [...]
Among the several distinct style genres of Cybis porcelain (papka, artsy 1940s porcelain, 1950s commercial-mold, and post-1950s) there is a small subset that I call ‘Cordey-Cybis transitional.’ In a nutshell, these are pieces that anyone would mistake for Cordey items except for the fact that they are signed M. B. Cybis, or stamped Cybis, instead. [...]
The liquidation of the Cybis studio’s backstock in 2019 brought to light a collection of female (lady head) busts made during the 1940s. These fell into two general categories: (a) papka and/or mixed media prototypes or one of a kind designs, and (b) busts that were cast from a basic head/neck mold and then variously [...]
When researching Cybis porcelain it is rarely possible to point to two different sculptures and definitively state “This became that” in its entirety (body-snatching doesn’t really qualify, although numerous instances of that practice have been found.) This is especially true when it comes to the earliest (1940s) pieces, many of which were either one of [...]
One of the most enjoyable things about creating the Cybis Archive has been hearing from readers who have questions about Cybis or information to share. This is particularly true in regard to the 1940s and 1950s pieces, many of which were either never documented by Cybis or their original information has been lost. An especially [...]
If I were to combine the words ‘Cybis’ and ‘lamp’, you’d probably assume I was referring to a Cordey item....and in most cases you’d be right. The lamps that came out of the Church Street studio were usually Cordeys, but surprisingly there was at least one lamp that emerged with a Cybis signature and entirely [...]
Recently an Archive reader sent me photos of two charming little papka figures made by Marja Cybis in the early 1940s (1940-1942) while the studio was in the Steinway Mansion. Although best recognized for her papka angels – such as the Angelic Orchestra – these figures are in her whimsy/folk-art style. My first reaction [...]
The very unusual pair of Cybis lady-handle mugs discovered last year were by no means the only ones that were made, after all. While the previous pair were signed M.B. Cybis, this second pair is signed simply Cybis in the same blue paint. Many thanks to the Archive reader who contacted me with photos of [...]
The Cybis archive 