"The turtle with the hairy tail" - The Minogame

The minogame (蓑亀^?), which is so old it has a train of seaweed growing on its back, is a symbol of longevity and felicity. A minogame has an important role in the well-known legend of Urashima Tarō.
According to traditional Japanese beliefs, the tortoise (turtle) is a haven for immortals and the world mountain, and symbolizes longevity, good luck, and support. It is the symbol of Kumpira, the god of seafaring people.
The tortoise is a favored motif by netsuke-carvers and other artisans, and is featured in traditional Japanese wedding ceremonies. There is also a well-known artistic pattern based on the nearly hexagonal shape of a tortoise’s shell. These patterns are usually composed of symmetrical hexagons, sometimes with smaller hexagons within them.

Japan - The Land of the Rising Sun

Find the differences

The tiger views the rising sun

A Japanese website of Kyoto Yamamoto's collection of many old beautiful Japanese Trade Mark labels

Kyoto Yamamoto's Japanese Trade Mark labels
(every photo is a link to other labels on the same subject)

Got it!

Copyright © 2005 kyoto-yamamoto All rights reserved.



Collectors' websites

The Yecheal Biskovits Match Collection's website 

Yecheal has been collecting Japanese match box labels since 1997. He has a huge collection of Japanese trade mark match box labels, woodblock printed match labels, Japanese match safes, match holders, matchbook holders, and basically anything related to the Japanese match industry.

The Mission of  Dr. Utpal Sanyal, Ph.D.

Dr. Utpal is a collector from India who collects Stamps, Matchbox, Coins & Notes, Birds nest and Origami. Most of his collections are related to his mission: Fight against Cancer, Tobacco Use, AIDS and Encouraging Blood Donation.

The Matchbox Museum of Shakil Huq

Shakil is from from Bangladesh. He is an artist, amateur photographer and a collector of bank note, matchboxes, empty toothpaste packet and anything vintage.

The World Of Matchboxes, Matchbooks & Matchbox Labels of Manoj Sonalkar

Manoj is my first Facebook's friend. He is from Pune, Maharashtra, India. He is a collector of matchboxes, labels, skillets, matchbooks. He is also an amateur photographer that always  experiments with his camera.

Bob Jacobs Home Page

Bob is from The United Kingdom, and he has approximately 35,000 items (mostly matchbox labels) in his collection, which have been gathered over a period of 44 years from all parts of the world.

The Blog of Joel Gabriels

Joel is a collector from Belgium who collects Matchbox labels, Matchbox Holders, old Matchboxes, Postcards related to Phillumeny etc.

 
The website of Flemming Henningsen

Flemming is from Denmark. He has been collecting matchboxes and labels since childhood, back in the sixties. His collection now contains more than 100,000 different items from 123 countries.

The website of Bjorn Stenberg who collects some very old labels from Sweden (includes the AMAZING collection of very old wooden matchboxes of Mick Lilley)

The showcasephillumeny collections of Ratnadeep Mondal 

Ratnadeep collects Indian stuff. He and his father had actually started collecting matchboxes around late eighties. For around 12-15 years the album was tucked away in their store room and nothing substantial was added to our collection, but recently his interest has renewed and he is back on the streets on his Phillumenic journey.

19th century Round cilinder matchboxes of Scheinost and Pojatzi - All right reserved to http://www.antico.be

Lumiferi N° 2 senza zolfo  - 
Fl. Pojatzi & Comp. Styria

Made in Austria

Fabrico especial para o Brazil
- pojatzi comp. Styria .

Made in Austria

A. Scheinost schuttenhofen

Made in Czechoslovakia

Umiferi N°2 senza zolfo. Scheinost .

Made in Czechoslovakia

Alumettes imperiales - Vojtech Scheinost.
 Susice - Cechy .

Made in Czechoslovakia (Full box)

Fabrico especial para o Brazil -
 Fl. pojatzi comp. Styria.

Made in Austria

A. Scheinost. schuttenhofen. 
Made in Czechoslovakia

Aren't they lovely pieces of art? (but very expensive...)

Bernard Furth labels' photos found on other collection or sales over the internet

I got 11 out 0f 12

I got the label at the bottom !

Got it!

I got 3 of them!

ALLUMETTES JMPERIALES

An ebay bid of 11 cylinders of Bernard Fürth dated Pre 1900 was closed yesterday for EUR 812.00 (EUR 782.00 + EUR 30.00 for H/S) - Is it CRAZY or do I out of business?

I think It is toooooo Expensive !!!! 

Funny Monkeys on old Japanese labels

I love Elephants !

The Symbolism of the Elephant In Hindu and Buddhism tradition (source: http://acropolis.org.in/articles/162-the-symbolism-of-the-elephant)

 

The elephant, in its most global and universal meaning, symbolizes strength and power, not only physical but also mental and spiritual.

In Hindu tradition, elephants call up the image of Ganesha, symbol of knowledge, son of Shiva and Parvati. His human body is the microcosm, manifestation, and his elephant’s head is the macrocosm, non-manifestation. He is the beginning and the end. During processions, elephants were ridden by kings and foremost by Indra, King of the Heavens, thus symbolizing royal power. In the Far East, the elephant’s round and massive body as well as its whitish-grey colour lead to it being a representation of clouds. Hence the myth of the purported existence of winged elephants believed to constitute the cloudy skyline. In Siam, Laos and Cambodia, the white elephant grants rainfall and plentiful harvests. But when ridden by Indra, Lord of the Heavens, the elephant becomes the Storm-God.

The elephant also plays the role of the animal that holds up the world. Elephants are the “caryatids” of the universe. They possess in themselves the structure of the cosmos: their structure is composed of four pillars supporting the celestial sphere, symbol of stability and immutability.

Yoga associates the elephant to the chakra Mûlâdhâra, in turn associated with the element Earth and the mastery of the centre upon the four directions of terrestrial space. With respect to the Tree of Life, uniting Heaven and Earth, the elephant is found at the top, from where stems Light enlightening the world from the peak down to the valley. Its feet and its trunk, shaped like an “S”, are in contact with the ground while its two ears, on another symbolic plane, correspond to the two blades of the double-edged axe of ancient Cretans.

According to Buddhist teachings, Queen Maya conceived the Buddha from an elephant calf that caressed her body with its trunk while she was asleep. In this way, the elephant calf is seen as the instrument of Heaven’s action and blessing that will give birth to the Avatar.

Its strength allows whoever invokes the power of the elephant to realize his heart’s desires. When one wishes to begin an important endeavour, the elephant is invoked as God of Knowledge and destroyer of obstacles, under the appearance of Ganesha. It is also invoked at the beginning of Buddhist prayers.

When placed on top of a pillar, an elephant evokes the Light of Knowledge. Finally, the Boddhisattva rides an elephant as a display of the power of knowledge, which can awaken man to the consciousness of his own destiny.

Copyright © 2012 New Acropolis India North Cultural Organization. All Rights Reserved.

Mitsui Bussan Kaisha - a Japanese Shipping company. Mitsui Bussan Kaisha was established in 1876 and obtained exclusive rights to export and market the coal mined at the state-run Miike mines, as well as Matchboxes and related.

On 1896 (Meiji 29) Naoki matches first exported to Singapore with association of Mitsui Bussan. This was the first experience for a Japanese company to export Japan made matches. (source: http://www.match.or.jp/english/history/history01.html)

More Japanese labels with a figure of Matchboxes, Matches or Cigarettes