A man is holding a huge fish. He is hanging upside down, suspended by a rope around his legs above a river. The rope is held by two horses, on either side of a cliff, standing on their hind legs holding the rope with their front hooves. This eccentric scene is captured on the tiny label of a matchbox. It is one of the weirder matchbox labels, but not nearly the oddest, from the roughly 2,000 on display at the Museum of Typography (MOT) in Iidabashi. '4 X 6 Universe', the exhibition's title, refers to the centimetre size of the tiny boxes. It is an absorbing exhibition that illustrates Japan's long history in the matchbox industry. More importantly the exhibition highlights the inventiveness and artistry of the anonymous designers who created these designs.
An illustration of children playing with their dog in gently falling snow was the endearing image that caught the attention of Yutaka Katoh some 30 years ago. Little did the graphic designer realize that this first whimsical purchase of an old box of matches would lead to him to a lifetime of Phillumeny (the collecting of matchbox labels) and the establishment of a collection of over 50,000 match box labels. The exhibition on display at MOTS belongs to Katoh San. He has also designed and produced the elegant catalogue and poster that accompany the exhibition. However, Katoh San's passion is for more than just little boxes – his interests and collection also includes the original wood block prints of labels, match advertising posters, archival photographs of important figures in the industry and even patent registration documents. Much of this is also on display in the exhibition.
In Japan during the early 20th century the country's expanding industrial base fueled rapid growth in commercial art. Graphic design had an important role in developing brand recognition and sales for new industrial products. Designers were influenced by European styles such as Art Deco and the Bauhaus and combined these with the long tradition of their own distinctive artistic practice. This hybrid typography is nowhere better illustrated than on the myriad of matchbox labels produced for the burgeoning match export industry.
Interestingly most of the labels on display are written in English, even the oldest from the Meiji period. This reflects the early internationalism of the match industry and Japan's dominance. This collection includes examples designed in Japan for American, Australian, English, French and Indian markets.
A magical mystery tour of the world is revealed through these miniature designs. Queen Victoria, Indian Gods such as Kali, American eagles, as well as flags from around the world. Carved in an intricate wood block print tiny figures on horse back which merge to form a portrait of Napoleon show the skill and creativity of the artisans.
Not unlike stamp collecting, rarity determines matchbox labels monetary value more than the artistry of the designs. Some rather ordinary monochrome labels are the rarest and the most valuable. These may sell for up to $40,000 for the rarest, of which there are but three in existence. But put your checkbooks away Katoh San is not selling. He is infected with a detective's zeal to track down a few illusive examples.
Katoh San is animated when discussing his collection. He jumps about from display case to bookcase to point out special designs. He is enchanted by their quirky designs, such as labels picturing deer playing brass instruments, a lion with a gun, a monkey postman, and an elephant as a fireman. As a designer he is attracted to the bold colors and the creative typography used in their designs, particularly the graphic pattern-play with kanji characters. But above all, it is that these miniature masterpieces are proudly 'made in Japan'.
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