Japanese Matchbook Collection

A dear friend, fellow collector, and customer reached out with a provocative proposition. She had been holding onto a collection of vintage matchbook covers, purchased over 50 years ago while traveling in Japan. She thought Visual Contrast might have a few ideas on how to put the vintage beauties to good use. Her indelible gift came with only one condition- we must “create something fun” with them.

We immediately got to work documenting and archiving the collection. With over 1,000 designs this was no small task! A true collectible, the covers had been removed from their original matchbooks and affixed to pages in rows. A similar construct to how stamp collections are archived. The collection is over 100 years old, making the pages incredibly fragile. We took extra care when handling the precious covers and did our best to not compromise any of the original works.

Next, we selected our favorite designs. A challenging task when there were so many unique and meticulously crafted stories wrapped in a design that could fit in the palm of your hand. One of our favorite things about matchbook covers is their connection to time and place. The artwork is sometimes an inside joke about the establishment they come from, or a pocket advertisement convening art and commerce, or a curious illustration that is somehow timeless.

Another thrilling part of selecting the designs was working to translate the Japanese characters. While not everything was translatable, we enlisted some help recording as much information as we could. The mix of Japanese design and language with western art deco-style illustration is a striking reminder of how culturally intertwined we are.

Explore the Collection

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