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

Kuri

#6B3E26

Chestnut brown

生成

Kinari

#F8F4E9

Natural white

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.

From the archive

The Complete Wada Bundle All 348 historical combinations, five formats, one download.

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