Vintage Color Palettes

Vintage in the Japanese color tradition is what time does to pigment: the persimmon-orange of aged kaki lacquerware, the warm brown of kogecha tea cloth washed a hundred times, the ochre of old paper yellowed at the edges. These are not colors that looked old when they were made — they earned their patina. Wada documented them at the moment of their tradition: just before synthetic dyes made the natural ones obsolete. Use them for heritage brands, print-inspired editorial layouts, food and beverage with provenance, and anything that benefits from the credibility that only time can give.