What colors are in the "Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet" palette?

Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet contains 2 colors: Violet Red (#642d5e), Dull Blue Violet (#80719e). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada documented historical Japanese color combinations from the showa era and earlier periods. The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet" palette belong to?

Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet is associated with the showa era and emphasizes pink tones. Plate 9 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Violet Red, Dull Blue Violet.

Can I use the "Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet" palette in my own design?

Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 9 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A two-colour pairing of Violet Red, Dull Blue Violet, as documented in the original plates.

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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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: pink
Moods: refined, austere
Colors: 2

Accessibility

WCAG contrast ratios between every color pair. Use the strongest combinations for text; the weakest ones make good decorative backgrounds.

Strongest pair: Violet Red on Dull Blue Violet — 2.30:1 (Fail)

Violet Red·Dull Blue Violet2.30:1Fail

How to read this

AAA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AAA for normal text — the highest accessibility bar.
AA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text. Standard production requirement.
AA Large: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for large text only (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Avoid for body copy.
Fail: Below WCAG 2.1 AA. Fine for decorative use — not for text.

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From the editorial · Long read

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Violet Red & Dull Blue Violet

About this combination

Historical context

Embed this palette

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Wabi-Sabi Color Theory: The Beauty of Things That Have Aged

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Pale Blue & Vermillion— 浅葱と朱

Celadon & Unbleached— 青磁と生成

Indigo Blue & Silver— 縹と銀

Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey— 刈安と利休鼠

Royal Purple & Silver— 紫と銀

Rosolanc Purple & Helvetia Blue

Aconite Violet & Dark Soft Violet

Rosolanc Purple & Orange +1