Play Boy thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Play Boy

Furnishing Fabric
1930 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This printed cotton and monk's cloth furnishing fabric was designed by Ruth Reeves (1892-1966) for W. & J. Sloane in 1930. Reeves trained with Fernand Léger (1881-1955) during the 1920s and was influenced by his Cubist paintings. She produced a wide range of printed and woven fabrics, mainly depicting modern life in America. Her most widely acknowledged commission was for the carpets in Radio City Music Hall in New York.

'Play Boy' shows figures shooting, riding and driving represented in Aztec-style block motifs. Reeves travelled to Guatemala in 1934 to pursue her interest in indigenous Central American art.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitlePlay Boy (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Printed cotton and monk's cloth
Brief description
Furnishing fabric 'Play Boy' of printed cotton and monk's cloth, designed by Ruth Reeves, retailed by W. & J. Sloane, New York, 1930.
Physical description
Furnishing fabric of printed cotton and monk's cloth. Figures shooting, riding and driving represented in Aztec style block motifs of dark brown, yellow, orange and cream.
Dimensions
  • Length: 127cm
  • Width: 71cm
Style
Credit line
Given by the retailers
Summary
This printed cotton and monk's cloth furnishing fabric was designed by Ruth Reeves (1892-1966) for W. & J. Sloane in 1930. Reeves trained with Fernand Léger (1881-1955) during the 1920s and was influenced by his Cubist paintings. She produced a wide range of printed and woven fabrics, mainly depicting modern life in America. Her most widely acknowledged commission was for the carpets in Radio City Music Hall in New York.

'Play Boy' shows figures shooting, riding and driving represented in Aztec-style block motifs. Reeves travelled to Guatemala in 1934 to pursue her interest in indigenous Central American art.
Bibliographic reference
Samuels, Charlotte. Art Deco Textiles. London : V&A Publications, 2003. Plate 73.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.276-1932

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdSeptember 11, 2002
Record URL
Download as: JSON