Matchbox Label
20th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Indian matchbox covers form part of India’s vibrant popular visual culture. These small boxes, sold for a few pence, are bold and colourful, some simple and naïve, others more complex and detailed. The images range from gods and goddesses, women, flowers, fruits, monuments, transport, tools, consumer goods and more. Successful covers are continuously copied and there can be endless variations of one particular image produced by rival companies. Many covers have a ‘retro’ feel about them because of this copying process, this also makes them difficult to date. Despite their ephemeral nature, they can convey historical, political and social information. Matchbox art dates back to the 1920s when India began producing its own matches from factories in Calcutta in Bengal and Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. Prior to this, matches were imported from Europe, mainly Sweden, and Japan. Early images reflect themes of nationalism while more recent images include planes, motorcycles and trucks.
Flowers are commonly used in Hindu rituals with the lotus, the national flower of India, particularly prized. The Hindu deities Vishnu, the Supreme Being, and his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, are typically depicted on or with a pink lotus.
Flowers are commonly used in Hindu rituals with the lotus, the national flower of India, particularly prized. The Hindu deities Vishnu, the Supreme Being, and his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, are typically depicted on or with a pink lotus.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Materials and techniques | Offset printed paper |
Brief description | Matchbox label for ‘Flower Brand’ matches, India, 20th century |
Physical description | Matchbox label for ‘Flower Brand’ matches. The central image depicts a pink lotus flower with green and white leaves, set against a yellow ground. At the top of the design is ‘Flower Brand’ in red, ‘Price 13 Ps.’ (paise) is below, ‘50’s Safety Matches’ is on the left hand side, ‘Certified by Khadi and Village Industries Commission’ all in black, and text in Tamil in white on a black panel is at the bottom. The whole design is enclosed within thin black borders. |
Dimensions |
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Content description | Matchbox label depicting a lotus |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | Indian matchbox covers form part of India’s vibrant popular visual culture. These small boxes, sold for a few pence, are bold and colourful, some simple and naïve, others more complex and detailed. The images range from gods and goddesses, women, flowers, fruits, monuments, transport, tools, consumer goods and more. Successful covers are continuously copied and there can be endless variations of one particular image produced by rival companies. Many covers have a ‘retro’ feel about them because of this copying process, this also makes them difficult to date. Despite their ephemeral nature, they can convey historical, political and social information. Matchbox art dates back to the 1920s when India began producing its own matches from factories in Calcutta in Bengal and Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. Prior to this, matches were imported from Europe, mainly Sweden, and Japan. Early images reflect themes of nationalism while more recent images include planes, motorcycles and trucks. Flowers are commonly used in Hindu rituals with the lotus, the national flower of India, particularly prized. The Hindu deities Vishnu, the Supreme Being, and his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, are typically depicted on or with a pink lotus. |
Collection | |
Accession number | IS.123-2012 |
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Record created | January 8, 2013 |
Record URL |
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