Takikawa Vintage Winged Stag Label Soy Candle

The Story

Of all the creatures in the export matchbox archive, the winged stag may be the most unexpected. Here a deer leaps forward in gold, great feathered wings spread from its shoulders and its body dappled with spots, set against a blue ground with a golden bowtie shape opening out behind it like rays. Four small medallions sit in the corners, two bearing classical profile heads, two bearing shields, lending the whole design the air of a heraldic banner. Across the top the label reads "Tändsticksfabriks Takikawa," and along the base "Säkerhets-Tändstickor," both Swedish: the first naming the Takikawa match factory, the second meaning safety matches. "Made in Japan" runs down the left edge and "Fire Prevention" down the right.

The Swedish text is the key to this label. Sweden was the home of the modern safety match and set the global standard for the industry, so a Japanese manufacturer printing its labels in Swedish was making a deliberate bid for the Scandinavian and Northern European market, competing directly on the home turf of the world's most respected match makers. The winged stag, a fantastical hybrid blending the deer with the wings of Pegasus, would have read as exotic and aspirational, a flourish of imagination on a everyday product. It is exactly the kind of cross-cultural ambition that makes these labels so compelling: a mythical creature, a Swedish product name, a Japanese factory, all on a single matchbox.

On the candle the label sits centered on the frosted glass jar, the blue and gold reading vividly and the winged stag taking flight above the warm glow of the flame.

Who Is It For

This candle is for someone who fills their space with objects that have a story and a striking look. They are drawn to the winged stag, to the heraldic blue and gold, to the layered history of a Swedish-named, Japanese-made label aimed at the Scandinavian trade. It makes a genuine gift for the design lover, the collector, the person who notices labels, and it brings a touch of the archive into a room in the warmest possible way. Choose the scent that suits the room and let the label do the rest.

About the Collection

Every design in the Ichinichi Collection is sourced from a personal archive of original Japanese matchbox labels spanning 1880 to 1940. The Takikawa winged stag label was printed in Swedish for the Scandinavian and Northern European market, a bold bid by a Japanese manufacturer to compete in the home region of the modern safety match. The fantastical winged stag and the heraldic blue-and-gold composition make it one of the most imaginative labels in the archive.

Product Details

Materials: 100% natural soy wax blend, 100% cotton wick, glass jar. Size: One size, 2.8 x 3.5 inches (7.1 x 8.9cm), 9oz. Burn time: 50 to 60 hours. Label: Glossy permanent adhesive. Scents: Choose from 12 aromatic options. Compliant with ASTM safety standards. Assembled in the USA from globally sourced parts. Note: All scents have the same wax color.