Dumb struck (updated)
The newly-released Matchbook by Shahid Datawala catalogues a very particular form of ephemeral pop art. It’s a collection of Indian matchbox covers, and it looks beautiful:
Produced and printed chiefly in the town of Sivakasi, famed for its fireworks, matchbox and printing industry… Gods and goddesses, community and national leaders, actors and actresses, and national monuments like the Taj Mahal, labels celebrating ephemeral social events such as the mission to the moon, a cricket world cup India won, the falling of Skylab II… icons originally created by Swedish companies… the key, the ship, the cheetah, the elephant, a pair of birds, the camel, the pistol and the horse… ‘oriental’ images of kings, queens, sultans, dancing girls, cheetahs, elephants and crocodiles…
One of the most copied labels is the famous ‘New Ship’. The graphic of the ship is altered slightly with every fake until, in a bizarre game of Chinese whispers, it ends up becoming the goddess Lakshmi. The name too undergoes these transformations, and ‘Ship’ becomes ‘Shape’, ‘Shep’ or even ‘Shit’… [Link]
You can order the book, which comes with its own simulated strike plate, from Amazon or directly from Tara Publishing. They’re sending Turbanhead a copy, so we should be getting better shots shortly.
I’m waiting for the inevitable cigarette, paan masala and zarda wrapper sequels.
Update: Also check out Light of India, another book of matchbox art released last month by Ten Speed Press. How do two books this niche hit the market at the same time? Dueling banjos!
on Wednesday, October 17th, 2007, 2:56 pm in Ads, Art, Literature › 
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Looks interesting! How does Turbanhead manage to lay his hands on such schwag?
He posted about this art publishing house before.
Which came first, the pipe or the swoosh? Kind of similar…
Yeah, I read about this in the London Times: http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article2423998.ece
Kitsch Collectors Unite!
As a kid growing up in India, I used to actively collect match-boxes from railway stations, ‘Paan’ shops and other such places. It’s been years since I last browsed my collection, but on last count, I had more than 600 distinct math-boxes. Next time I go to India, I’ll bring it along :)
“Ship” was the most common, while “Chavi - Rain or Shine, Chavi is fine” was a close 2nd.
@brown_dbd
So did I, especially when I visited my relatives on my mothers side in MP.
i saw this book at the art institute of chicago’s gift store 2 weeks ago.
Just got my copy last Friday. I love it. I want all books put out by this publishing company.