The Dictionary of
Color Combinations

Edo era · earthy · warm · playful

Turmeric & Indigo 鬱金と藍

Warm turmeric yellow against true indigo — the everyday textile of Japanese farm life.

鬱金

Ukon

#E0B740

Turmeric yellow

藍

Ai

#1C3D5A

True indigo

生成

Kinari

#F3EBDA

Unbleached

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About this combination

Ukon is the yellow extracted from turmeric root — used to dye baby clothes and protective wrappings. Ai is the workhorse blue of every farming village. Together they are the most common and most honest textile pair in Japanese rural history.

Where it works

  • Folk craft, textile e-commerce
  • Food with rural positioning
  • Approachable editorial

Historical context

This palette is inspired by the tradition of Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, which cataloged combinations drawn from centuries of Japanese cultural life. The specific colors here use traditional shikisai names that have been in the public domain for generations.

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From the editorial · Long read

Heian Court Color Theory: Kasane, Kinjiki, and the Seasonal Palette

How the Heian imperial court systematised colour into layered-robe combinations (kasane no irome), forbidden pigments (kinjiki), and a 12-month seasonal calendar.

Read the article →

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