Four Heads, Half Figures and Animal
Dress Fabric
1946 (designed)
1946 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
British artist and sculptor Henry Moore designed this print for the textile firm Ascher Limited, founded by Zika and Lida Ascher, Czech émigrés who moved to London in 1939. Along with other British and European artists, Moore was asked by Ascher to design prints for dress fabrics in order to create more exciting textiles than those that had been available during the Second World War.
In October 1945 Zika Ascher wrote to Moore suggesting that he make some designs for children's textiles, requesting 'anything that would be familiar to children, or anything, though not familiar, that would appeal, such as the monkey and the elephant and the jollier types of birds like the penguin.' Although we do not know of Moore's response, it could explain the appearance in this design of the brightly coloured tigers. But Moore and Ascher had more than children in mind; the pattern was produced in both rayon and silk for dress fabrics and also as a trial for linoleum floor tiles.
In October 1945 Zika Ascher wrote to Moore suggesting that he make some designs for children's textiles, requesting 'anything that would be familiar to children, or anything, though not familiar, that would appeal, such as the monkey and the elephant and the jollier types of birds like the penguin.' Although we do not know of Moore's response, it could explain the appearance in this design of the brightly coloured tigers. But Moore and Ascher had more than children in mind; the pattern was produced in both rayon and silk for dress fabrics and also as a trial for linoleum floor tiles.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Four Heads, Half Figures and Animal (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Screen-printed rayon |
| Brief description | Dress fabric sample 'Four Heads, Half Figures and Animal' of screen-printed rayon, designed by Henry Spencer Moore for Ascher Ltd., London, 1946 |
| Physical description | Dress fabric sample of screen-printed rayon with drawings of four profile heads, half-figures and abstract motifs in white, lilac and red, and an animal, possibly a tiger in mustard on a brown ground. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Given by the manufacturer |
| Summary | British artist and sculptor Henry Moore designed this print for the textile firm Ascher Limited, founded by Zika and Lida Ascher, Czech émigrés who moved to London in 1939. Along with other British and European artists, Moore was asked by Ascher to design prints for dress fabrics in order to create more exciting textiles than those that had been available during the Second World War. In October 1945 Zika Ascher wrote to Moore suggesting that he make some designs for children's textiles, requesting 'anything that would be familiar to children, or anything, though not familiar, that would appeal, such as the monkey and the elephant and the jollier types of birds like the penguin.' Although we do not know of Moore's response, it could explain the appearance in this design of the brightly coloured tigers. But Moore and Ascher had more than children in mind; the pattern was produced in both rayon and silk for dress fabrics and also as a trial for linoleum floor tiles. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.100-1947 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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