Collection · 16 palettes

Black Color Palettes

Sumi ink, lacquer, and the weight of restraint.

Black in the Japanese color tradition is not a single shade — it is a spectrum from the grey-smoke of sumi (墨) ink diluted with water, to the deep pitch of shikkoku (漆黒), the lacquer black prized in Heian court objects. A black palette in Wada's system always carries a companion: a warm ivory to show the ink's depth, a vermilion accent to activate the void, or a silver-grey that makes the darkness feel luminous rather than heavy. These combinations are the backbone of editorial design, luxury brand identities, and any interface where contrast does the communicating.

Kamakura era

Vermillion, Black, Gold— 朱・黒・金

The ceremonial triad of temple lacquerware — vermillion, lacquer black, gold leaf.

Kamakura era

Red Lead & Ink— 鉛丹と墨

The dense orange-red of lead oxide pigment struck against ink black.

Kamakura era

Spring Green & Ink— 萌黄と墨

Young shoot green against sumi ink — the two extremes of the Japanese calligrapher's world.

Muromachi era

Bellflower & Ink— 桔梗と墨

The deep violet of the bellflower set against ink — formal, discreet.

Heian era

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Deep safflower crimson against navy — the courtly contrast of Heian-era robes and formal Edo textiles.

Edo era

Indigo Blue & Silver— 縹と銀

Mid-grade indigo with the quiet sheen of silver — an understated Edo merchant robe.

Edo era

Pale Blue & Vermillion— 浅葱と朱

The faded blue of Shinsengumi jackets against shrine-gate vermillion — restrained power.

Edo era

Madder Red & Evergreen— 茜と常磐

The rooted red of madder-dyed cotton set against enduring pine green.

Edo era

Crimson Lake & Pine— 臙脂と松葉

The deep lake crimson of cochineal against pine needle green — winter evergreen.

Showa era

Carmine Red & Oil Green +2

Plate 245 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Oil Green, Dark Tyrian Blue, Slate Color.

Showa era

Raw Sienna & Pale Burnt Lake +2

Plate 269 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Raw Sienna, Pale Burnt Lake, Aconite Violet, Black.

Showa era

Yellow Orange & Sepia +2

Plate 288 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Yellow Orange, Sepia, Taupe Brown, Black.

Showa era

Carmine & Yellow +2

Plate 313 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine, Yellow, Diamine Green, Black.

Showa era

Vandyke Red & Dull Viridian Green +2

Plate 316 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Vandyke Red, Dull Viridian Green, Violet, Red Violet.

Showa era

Light Brownish Olive & Blackish Olive +2

Plate 318 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brownish Olive, Blackish Olive, Dusky Green, Deep Slate Green.

Showa era

Olive Buff & Cossack Green +2

Plate 348 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Olive Buff, Cossack Green, Deep Slate Olive, Cotinga Purple.

From the archive

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All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
Figma design tokens (W3C-spec JSON, drag into any file)
Tailwind v4 + v3 configs — drop into any project
CSS custom properties — every plate, one stylesheet
378 museum SVG plates — print-ready at any size
Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues

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