Japan Deco Matchbox Art

Masao Shimojima, in his book "The Art of Japanese Matchbox Labels" describes the rise of cafes, bars, coffee shops and restaurants in the post-World War I period as war weary people sought to escape the pressures of life.

Young designers, trained in Germany and Europe, returned to Japan and produced elegant advertising for large companies such as Shiseido. Many of these designs showed the asymmetry and stylized flat shapes typical of Japanese woodblock prints. Some had amazingly clever use of only red and black ink colors while others used gold and silver metallic inks to add to their palette.

More Japanese matchbox art: Jane McDevitt on Flickr

Via: Duck Soup