Japanese Matchbox Labels

Found these lovely 20's/30's Japanese Match Labels on one of my favorite blogs Delicious Industries (which they got from Christian Northeast's blog, Lunch Tongue). Apparently Christian has a scrapbook full of them, I wanna see more!! See the original post here.

I am such a sucker for all the flat and over simplified matchbox and matchbook labels, no matter where their origin. They are always so dynamic yet perfectly understated at the same time.

Images copyright Christian Northeast.

Light of India - A Conflagration of Indian Matchbox Art

Our good pal Tom Rooney of Pavlov's Togs brought by this wonderful book Light of India, A Conflagration of Indian Matchbox Art, by for me to thumb through and drool over a while back. I am FINALLY taking the time to scan it and post about it (then sadly give it back).

This colorful book is a dazzling collection of more than 300 vintage matchbox labels from India, dating from the turn of the century through the 1950s, each one is even better than the one before. Abounding with pouncing Bengal tigers, regal jungle elephants, and Hindu gods and goddesses, each miniature masterpiece is so skillfully produced, yet some done ever so simply. I could look at this book time and time again and find something new to look at each time.

Here are just a few of my favs:

More Matchbox Art

Wow, I am a sucker for all these beautiful vintage matchbox labels and covers. Found this great set on Flickr.
It is just so amazing how such small images can communicate in such a large way.

Check out some of the other posts we've put up in this blog, with more of these vintage goodies.

Here's a small sample of some of the gems found in that Flickr group:

Czechoslovakian Matchbox Labels

How can you not LOVE Flickr? It is a treasure full of visual jewels like these Czech Matchbox labels. I could just look at these all day! These lovelies are just so simple and beautiful!

Animal Alphabet Matchboxes

Fosforos Del Pirineo - Abcdario Animal (Animal Alphabet) Spain 1970s?

Found over at grain edit, super cool matchbox covers designed by Cruz Novillo + Olmos. The matchboxes feature an illustration of an animal for each letter of the alphabet. These are so unbelievably cool! The B, the blue Buho, (the owl) is totally my fav, of course. Whats your fav?

Matchbox Art

Here's some matchbox awesome-ness for you! Found on flickr - Mid Century Modern - Sticker, Label + Stamp Club. So much great stuff in here. Click through to see even more amazing vintage stickers, stamps and matchbox artwork.

via Orange You Lucky