The Weird and Occasionally WTF World of Matchbox Art

PublishedJune 12, 2013

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Every matchbox needs a little decoration on the outside. But sometimes package designers go the extra mile to make your moment with fire a truly trippy experience. Here are some of the weirdest matchboxes we've ever seen.

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Friday 10:03AM

Check out Optimus Primal and Optimus Prime Chilling in Times Square

Thursday 12:19PM

The King Kong above is from Japan, and produced in the early 1930s.

The Iron (Japan, c. 1935)

Disco Fever (Japan)

Shadow Figures (China)

The Dadaist Pegasus (India)

The Rocket from Mecca (Saudi Arabia)

Cute Platypus (India, c. 1930)

Old Japanese labels

The Tiger Attacks and Leaf Cutter (Sweden)

Non-poisonous and non glowing Aeroplane (Sweden)

Camera Matches (Japan)

Smoking Joker Monkeys (India)

The Magic Square (England, c. 1930)

Metro (Hungary, 1970)

Look at me, I'm wearing the Earth now (Japan, c. 1910)

The Inseparables (Japan, c. 1900)

The Lip Brand (Japan, c. 1935)

Heavenly Stage (China, c. 1960)

A smoking Daft Punk member (Belgium, c. 1950)

The Juggler Matches (Japan, c. 1920)

Protection from Fire (Japan, c. 1920)

Air Light (Netherlands, c. 1935)

Hero (India, c. 1970)

Goldeneye (India, c. 1970)

Disco Art (Germany, c. 1975)

Batman and Superman (China)

Milk or Alcohol (Bulgaria)

Gandhi (Japan)

How does it happen? (Japan, c. 1910)

Space themed matches by the Dutch EDAH supermarket (Netherlands, 1966)

The Tiger safety matches (Sweden)

Robot Brand (Japan)

Cockfight (Sweden)

Superior safety matches (Japan)

Grumpy Cat (Sivakasi, India)

Impregnated Snail (Jönköping, Sweden)

Non-poisonous Searchlight (UK)

Tjap Karbo (Sweden)

This Match Speaks For Itself (Sweden)

The Crocodile and The Duel (India)

U.S.S Hyman or DD-732 (USA)

"Don't Drink Water, Drink Beer" from Frank's Beverage Center, Glen Cove, New York (USA)

Gotham Gold Stripe Stockings (USA)

A Pannonia ad from Csepel Motorcycles (1950s, Hungary)

Miniature reduction of an old Berliner Zeitung cover on a matchbox celebrating that the magazine turned 100 years old. (Germany)

Are you thirsty for a crime movie? Or you want to relax all night long? This beer helps you. (Germany)

Robur truck factory ads (1960s and 1970s, East Germany)

Adam Hats – They're Smart! (USA)

Soviet Union's Luna 2 (1959, USSR)

Wildfire and Fire Prevention ads (USSR, now Lithuania)

Anti-drinking ads (Czechoslovakia)

Ads of the Hungarian lightbulb factory Tungsram (1960s, Hungary)

Please report found bombs to local government instead of touching them! (1950s, Hungary)

The Ring (Sweden)

(via wackystuff, little red mail box, David Larson, Ωméga *, Gertie, Curious Objects, flamingturkeywings, Shailesh Chavda, maraid, fedoralounge, The Design Witness, Yutaka Katoh, Patricia M, Arnon Reisman and eBay)