Born on July 23, 1895, in Lithuania, Boleslaw Cybis became a celebrated painter whose work was recognized throughout Europe in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He became so well-known for his artistry that the U.S. government asked him to create a series of murals in the Polish Pavilion for the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.

 

When Hitler invaded Poland that same year, Cybis became a U.S. citizen and opened a studio to create ceramics in the tradition of Eastern European artisans. Within a few years, he and his wife Marja relocated to Trenton, New Jersey and opened the Cordey China Company where he produced painted and glazed china figurines, lamp bases, and other decorative items.

 

Cybis shifted his full attention to porcelain in the late 1940’s and opened the Cybis Porcelain Art Studio, where he created remarkable human and animal

porcelain sculptures. Because his work was created in an intimate and artistic studio, production output was limited, and the level of detail is extraordinary.

 

Today, Cybis porcelains are found in museums, embassies, governmental buildings, and private collections around the world.