What colors are in the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" palette?

Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1 contains 3 colors: Spinel Red (#f27291), Dark Medici Blue (#547076), Taupe Brown (#7a4456). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" palette belong to?

Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 224 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spinel Red, Dark Medici Blue, Taupe Brown.

Can I use the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" 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.

Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1 — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 224 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A 3-colour grouping of Spinel Red, Dark Medici Blue, Taupe Brown, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 224 of Wada's 348 anchors Spinel Red, Dark Medici Blue and Taupe Brown in the red family — a 3-colour grouping with a refined, warm character, recorded in Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations (six volumes; Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint), and in the public domain by age. Its strongest pairing — Spinel Red on Taupe Brown — reaches a contrast ratio of 2.72:1, below the WCAG text-contrast floor, so it reads best in decorative blocks rather than text pairings.

Studio

Taking Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1 off the screen

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...onto paper

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Pantone

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

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...onto a screen you can trust

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Calibrite

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

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...by hand

Start here if you are mixing it. Wada's plates were flat printed colour; gansai pans are the closest everyday medium to them.

Kuretake

Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau

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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: red
Moods: refined, warm
Colors: 3

Accessibility

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

Strongest pair: Spinel Red on Taupe Brown — 2.72:1 (Fail)

Spinel Red·Dark Medici Blue1.92:1Fail
Spinel Red·Taupe Brown2.72:1Fail
Dark Medici Blue·Taupe Brown1.42:1Fail

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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Preview

From the editorial · Long read

The Four Reds: Kurenai, Akane, Shu, Entan

Why Japanese tradition distinguishes safflower crimson from madder from vermilion from lead red — and which to reach for when the brief asks for 'a Japanese red.'

Read the article →

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Questions about Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1

What colors are in the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" palette?: Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1 contains 3 colors: Spinel Red (#f27291), Dark Medici Blue (#547076), Taupe Brown (#7a4456). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).
When was the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" palette created?: This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). The source work is in the public domain.
What style or era does the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" palette belong to?: Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 224 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spinel Red, Dark Medici Blue, Taupe Brown.
Can I use the "Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1" 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.

Related combinations

Three palettes with a similar feel.

Showa era

Grenadine Pink & Deep Indigo

Plate 6 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Grenadine Pink, Deep Indigo.

Showa era

Vandyke Red & Pale King's Blue

Plate 16 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Vandyke Red, Pale King's Blue.

Showa era

Eugenia Red | B & Sea Green

Plate 17 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eugenia Red | B, Sea Green.

Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1

About this combination

Historical context

Taking Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1 off the screen

Formula Guide — coated & uncoated

ColorChecker Passport Photo 2

Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau

Embed this palette

Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.

The Four Reds: Kurenai, Akane, Shu, Entan

Find partner colors for each tone in this palette.

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Websites.

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

Questions about Spinel Red & Dark Medici Blue +1

Grenadine Pink & Deep Indigo

Vandyke Red & Pale King's Blue

Eugenia Red | B & Sea Green

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