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Beautiful vintage Cybis porcelain circus elephant “Alexander, He’s the Greatest,” Design #682, introduced in 1975.
Alexander was the first of three circus elephants produced by Cybis and features wonderfully elaborate hand-painted trappings with raised floral decoration, rich cobalt blue, red and green accents, extensive gold detailing, tassels and an elegant matte/bisque ivory porcelain body. The decorative trappings were designed by Cybis artist George Ivers.
The underside is marked Cybis © 1975.
The standard version of Alexander with blue trappings was originally made with a red ball positioned between the two raised tusks. The original ball is missing from this example. This is actually a well-documented issue with this particular Cybis sculpture—the ball was attached with only three small glued contact points, and surviving examples are frequently found without it.
Alexander debuted in 1975 at a $310 original retail price, and by 1993 Cybis had raised its retail price to $975. It was an open-edition sculpture rather than a numbered limited edition.
Despite the missing ball, this example displays beautifully. I personally did not realize anything was missing until researching the figurine. I do not see any other chips, cracks, breaks, repairs, or damage. The delicate trunk, tusks, ears, tail, tassels and raised decorations all appear intact, and the colorful hand-painted and gilt decoration remains very attractive.
A replacement decorative ball could potentially be added by the next owner if desired, or it can simply be displayed as-is. No replacement ball is included; the figurine is being sold exactly as photographed.
Approximate Measurements:
Height: 7.25 inches
Length: 5.75 inches
Width: 3 inches
Weight: 10.1 oz
This is an especially charming vintage Cybis piece with a great deal of detail from every angle and would make a wonderful addition to a collection of Cybis porcelain, circus figures, elephant collectibles, or American art porcelain.
Please review all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the condition description.
Ships the same day or next day, including Saturdays, and will be carefully packaged in a box for safe shipment.
Thank you for looking at the listing, and please feel free to reach out with any questions.
