The Dictionary of
Color Combinations

Edo era · warm · earthy · playful

Kerria Gold & Chestnut 山吹と栗

The bright gold of the kerria flower against the warm brown of roasted chestnut.

山吹

Yamabuki

#F5B71C

Kerria gold

栗

Kuri

#6B3E26

Chestnut brown

生成

Kinari

#F8F4E9

Natural white

Share

About this combination

Yamabuki is the saturated, almost metallic gold of the kerria rose in full bloom. Kuri-iro is the rich brown of roasted chestnuts — a favorite of Edo merchants. Together they are autumn abundance.

Where it works

  • Autumn and harvest campaigns
  • Bakery and confectionery branding
  • Warm, 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.

Featured in

Embed this palette

Add this swatch strip to any blog post, Notion page, or website. It links back here automatically.

<iframe src="https://colorcombinations.org/embed/yamabuki-kuri/" width="320" height="80" frameborder="0" style="border-radius:6px;overflow:hidden;" title="Kerria Gold & Chestnut color palette — colorcombinations.org"></iframe>

Preview

From the archive

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

See what's inside

Launching soon. The free archive stays free, always.

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 →

More from this collection

Other palettes in Color Palettes for Branding.

See the full color palettes for branding collection →

Related combinations

Three palettes with a similar feel.