MATCHIBAKO: Japanese Matchbox Art of the 20s and 30s depicts Japan’s swift transformation into an industrial empire in the early 20th century, as illustrated in the infinitesimal advertisements on matchboxes from the period. In an uncertain society and its changing leisure market, matches joined cigarettes in Western-style hotels and cafes, and in sushi bars next door. Patrons might be found in Western dress or traditional kimono, debating Marx or the latest silent film, but all saw themselves reflected in the new graphism.

Although most were anonymously designed, these tiny remainders alternately show the influence of Cubism and the Bauhaus in illustration and English type, and retain conventional wood block fonts and right-to-left Japanese text. This little book is a delightful collection of images from the other side of the globe.

Completely illustrated in color

Maggie Kinser Hohle writes extensively on the graphic arts and arts of Japan.