Showa era
Isabella Color & Red Violet
Plate 4 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Isabella Color, Red Violet.
#c5a56e
brown · 4 palettes
Isabella Color
About Isabella Color
Isabella Color is a mid-tone, muted brown tone. Its hex value is #c5a56e — that is
RGB 197, 165, 110, or HSL 38°, 43%, 60%.
It holds 9.0:1 contrast against dark, so Isabella Color works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 2.3:1; on black 9.0:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Isabella Color appears in 4 combinations — most often paired with Pale Lemon Yellow, Red Violet and Green Blue.
Colours that go with Isabella Color
From a standard colour wheel, Isabella Color anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#c5a56e #6E8EC5
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#c5a56e #C57A6E #BAC56E
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#c5a56e #6EC5A5 #A56EC5
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#c5a56e #6EBAC5 #796EC5
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Isabella Color
Isabella Color is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 38°, 43%, 60%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a dark background (9.0:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#6E8EC5) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#C57A6E and #BAC56E) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Isabella Color
Isabella Color appears in 4 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours.
From the archive
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