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 [...]
I am occasionally asked for advice regarding the best venue in which to offer any of the Cybis North American Indians series. My reply always begins with this sentence: “Well, those can be a bit tricky." The purpose of this post is to explain why. One reason is that the subject of the series (Native [...]
Helen Granger Young was one of several freelance sculptors who designed for the Cybis studio during the 1970s. Unlike most of their other designers, Mrs. Young’s work for them was limited to a single genre: portraits of Native Americans. She was born in Mimico, Ontario, Canada on November 1, 1922. A common error found on [...]
Having previously looked at the pairs, companions, and sets that the Cybis porcelain studio produced, it’s also interesting to see what I call their ‘two-fer’ and ‘trio’ pieces. These are sculptures that have more than one subject, both (or all) being of equal design weight/importance. There was also one sculpture that was composed of four [...]
During the 'golden age' of the Cybis studio's production (1960s and 1970s) their pieces were regularly chosen to be official Gifts of State from our country to foreign dignitaries. Presidents Nixon and Ford were particularly fond of doing so, in fact, but in reality that process doesn't begin in the Oval Office. So where does [...]
The Cybis studio produced relatively few dog and cat studies – less than a dozen of each during the studio’s entire history. I have never seen a Cordey-imprint dog, although there were three different cats made. Most of the canine sculptures were introduced in the 1980s or later and all are open (non-limited) editions. The [...]
One of the most notable achievements of the Cybis Studio during its almost 75-year existence was their North American Indians collection. Inaugurated as a limited series beginning in 1969, their finely detailed representations of the major Native American tribes have been widely appreciated by collectors. Boleslaw Cybis was fascinated by the native peoples of his [...]
Continuing the review of Cybis’ literature-based portraits naturally leads to their interpretations of characters and creatures from Greek, Roman and Asian mythology. The actual appearance of the first two mythological studies is unknown. One, titled Greek Head, is known only from a single text list of names in the 1974 catalog; I am going to [...]
Here are five Cybis designs in honor of the holiday and moms everywhere. America's First Born (Virginia Dare) is 8" high overall. On August 18, 1587, Virginia Dare became the first baby born on American soil to British parents. She was born on Roanoke Island which was part of the Virginia Colony for which she [...]
THE CYBIS ARCHIVE 