Sunday, February 23, 2014

The Art of Play: Bath Toys, 1970




Bath Toy
Patrick Rylands, 1970
This and all related images from:
The Victoria & Albert Museum


You know, this has nothing to do with anything. And, it’s certainly not even remotely antique. But, I just like it. It’s cute and, even though I’m not a big fan of sitting in a bath, I’d like to have one.

It’s a bath toy. Made in 1970, the toy in the shape of a fish was designed by Patrick Rylands who was a designer of toys for Trendon Toys Ltd, Ambi Toys, Brio and other British firms. Rylands had a background as a ceramicist at the Royal College of Art. That sculptural background is wholly evident in the toys that he designed. His work is characterized by pleasing, rounded forms which would have been quite easy for small children to handle. The bath fish is one of a group of toys which Rylands designed which won the Duke of Edinburgh's Design Award in 1970. It, and its friends, are made of a molded plastic.




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