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色譜宝典 — Shikifu Codex

A Dictionary of Color Combinations

Sanzo Wada, 1933–38 · 171 colors · 581 combinations

The codex in numbers

171
colors
348
Vol. Ⅰ plates
233
Vol. Ⅱ patterns
120 · 120 · 108
Vol. Ⅰ duos · trios · quartets

Fig. 1 — The Vol. Ⅰ workhorses

Colors ranked by how many of Vol. Ⅰ's 348 plates they appear in. Black is the most-printed color of all; after it, quiet paper tints do the heavy lifting — the loud colors are seasoning, not staples.

黒色Black
23
檜皮色Raw Sienna
19
淡卵色Pale Lemon Yellow
19
蒸栗色Sulpher Yellow
18
白茶Ivory Buff
16
白緑Turquoise Green
16
金絲雀色Lemon Yellow
15
浅紅Eosine Pink
14
卵色Cream Yellow
14
柑子色Yellow Orange
14
空色Salvia Blue
13
納戸色Antwarp Blue
13
Data table
ColorJapanesePlates
Black黒色23
Raw Sienna檜皮色19
Pale Lemon Yellow淡卵色19
Sulpher Yellow蒸栗色18
Ivory Buff白茶16
Turquoise Green白緑16
Lemon Yellow金絲雀色15
Eosine Pink浅紅14
Cream Yellow卵色14
Yellow Orange柑子色14
Salvia Blue空色13
Antwarp Blue納戸色13

Fig. 2 — The Vol. Ⅱ workhorses

The same ranking against Vol. Ⅱ's 233 patterns. In applied design the hierarchy flips to ink and paper: Black and White anchor a third of all patterns, with everything else far behind.

黒色Black
76
白色White
71
銀鼠Neutral Gray
21
淡黄蘗Naples Yellow
18
白茶Ivory Buff
16
瓶覗Pale King's Blue
16
深川鼠Light Glaucous Blue
16
赤色Spectrum Red
15
朱色Red Orange
13
蒸栗色Sulpher Yellow
13
緑色Green
13
浅縹Olympic Blue
13
Data table
ColorJapanesePatterns
Black黒色76
White白色71
Neutral Gray銀鼠21
Naples Yellow淡黄蘗18
Ivory Buff白茶16
Pale King's Blue瓶覗16
Light Glaucous Blue深川鼠16
Spectrum Red赤色15
Red Orange朱色13
Sulpher Yellow蒸栗色13
Green緑色13
Olympic Blue浅縹13

Fig. 3 — How hues pair

Every pair of hue families sharing a plate, across all 348 combinations. Orange is the great mixer; pinks and neutrals mostly keep their own company.

RedPinkOrangeBrownYellowGreenBlueVioletNeutralRed71634163753373415Pink162116151111128Orange341125356590803826Brown16635419292597Yellow371565191474471914Green531190297436431614Blue371180254743132510Violet3412389191625149Neutral15826714141093

Darker cell — more plates pairing the two hues. Diagonal: same-hue pairings.

Data table
RedPinkOrangeBrownYellowGreenBlueVioletNeutral
Red71634163753373415
Pink162116151111128
Orange341125356590803826
Brown16635419292597
Yellow371565191474471914
Green531190297436431614
Blue371180254743132510
Violet3412389191625149
Neutral15826714141093

Fig. 4 — Lightness × chroma

Every color in the dictionary, plotted by Lab lightness against chroma and drawn in its own ink. Only the yellows manage to be both bright and vivid — every other hue goes quiet as it lightens.

Hermosa Pink — L* 83, C* 22Corinthian Pink — L* 80, C* 27Cameo Pink — L* 77, C* 18Fawn — L* 74, C* 15Light Brown Drab — L* 64, C* 14Coral Red — L* 70, C* 46Fresh Color — L* 71, C* 46Grenadine Pink — L* 67, C* 56Eosine Pink — L* 67, C* 48Spinel Red — L* 65, C* 53Old Rose — L* 59, C* 44Eugenia Red - A — L* 58, C* 58Eugenia Red - B — L* 54, C* 60Raw Sienna — L* 55, C* 58Vinaceous Tawny — L* 53, C* 63Jasper Red — L* 57, C* 82Spectrum Red — L* 50, C* 87Red Orange — L* 52, C* 79Etruscan Red — L* 51, C* 55Burnt Sienna — L* 46, C* 57Ochre Red — L* 47, C* 42Scarlet — L* 47, C* 68Carmine — L* 44, C* 75Indian Lake — L* 48, C* 58Rosolanc Purple — L* 46, C* 52Pomegranite Purple — L* 41, C* 62Hydrangea Red — L* 43, C* 47Brick Red — L* 42, C* 58Carmine Red — L* 39, C* 56Pompeian Red — L* 39, C* 60Red — L* 38, C* 57Brown — L* 35, C* 37Hay's Russet — L* 31, C* 39Vandyke Red — L* 30, C* 49Pansy Purple — L* 28, C* 46Pale Burnt Lake — L* 30, C* 45Violet Red — L* 28, C* 35Vistoris Lake — L* 33, C* 21Sulpher Yellow — L* 93, C* 22Pale Lemon Yellow — L* 95, C* 34Naples Yellow — L* 92, C* 37Ivory Buff — L* 86, C* 27Seashell Pink — L* 88, C* 21Light Pinkish Cinnamon — L* 84, C* 34Pinkish Cinnamon — L* 78, C* 39Cinnamon Buff — L* 84, C* 46Cream Yellow — L* 82, C* 55Golden Yellow — L* 74, C* 57Vinaceous Cinnamon — L* 75, C* 35Ochraceous Salmon — L* 71, C* 33Isabella Color — L* 70, C* 34Maple — L* 68, C* 34Olive Buff — L* 78, C* 25Ecru — L* 72, C* 17Yellow — L* 95, C* 96Lemon Yellow — L* 93, C* 78Apricot Yellow — L* 89, C* 89Pyrite Yellow — L* 74, C* 50Olive Ocher — L* 75, C* 62Yellow Ocher — L* 76, C* 63Orange Yellow — L* 78, C* 81Yellow Orange — L* 73, C* 79Apricot Orange — L* 69, C* 62Orange — L* 64, C* 80Peach Red — L* 59, C* 79English Red — L* 57, C* 69Cinnamon Rufous — L* 57, C* 49Orange Rufous — L* 55, C* 60Sulphine Yellow — L* 67, C* 61Khaki — L* 61, C* 57Citron Yellow — L* 72, C* 60Citrine — L* 66, C* 55Buffy Citrine — L* 57, C* 33Dark Citrine — L* 55, C* 23Light Grayish Olive — L* 53, C* 17Krongbergs Green — L* 55, C* 22Olive — L* 52, C* 42Orange Citrine — L* 50, C* 44Sudan Brown — L* 50, C* 32Olive Green — L* 46, C* 28Light Brownish Olive — L* 48, C* 23Deep Grayish Olive — L* 39, C* 20Pale Raw Umber — L* 37, C* 27Sepia — L* 34, C* 31Madder Brown — L* 29, C* 43Mars Brown Tobacco — L* 28, C* 36Vandyke Brown — L* 24, C* 24Turquoise Green — L* 85, C* 18Glaucous Green — L* 80, C* 10Dark Greenish Glaucous — L* 77, C* 14Yellow Green — L* 81, C* 50Light Green Yellow — L* 81, C* 63Night Green — L* 73, C* 67Olive Yellow — L* 65, C* 38Artemesia Green — L* 58, C* 13Andover Green — L* 51, C* 8Rainette Green — L* 64, C* 26Chromium Green — L* 58, C* 24Pistachio Green — L* 56, C* 19Sea Green — L* 65, C* 49Benzol Green — L* 54, C* 55Light Porcelain Green — L* 53, C* 38Green — L* 58, C* 38Dull Viridian Green — L* 53, C* 51Oil Green — L* 58, C* 47Diamine Green — L* 43, C* 40Cossack Green — L* 45, C* 36Lincoln Green — L* 36, C* 22Blackish Olive — L* 33, C* 14Deep Slate Olive — L* 19, C* 11Nile Blue — L* 88, C* 14Pale King's Blue — L* 82, C* 18Light Glaucous Blue — L* 78, C* 14Salvia Blue — L* 69, C* 17Cobalt Green — L* 79, C* 29Calamine Blue — L* 77, C* 28Venice Green — L* 74, C* 32Cerulian Blue — L* 55, C* 36Peacock Blue — L* 53, C* 52Green Blue — L* 54, C* 34Olympic Blue — L* 53, C* 31Blue — L* 43, C* 50Antwarp Blue — L* 42, C* 40Helvetia Blue — L* 35, C* 38Dark Medici Blue — L* 45, C* 11Dusky Green — L* 28, C* 36Deep Lyons Blue — L* 29, C* 43Violet Blue — L* 30, C* 23Vandar Poel's Blue — L* 31, C* 27Dark Tyrian Blue — L* 21, C* 20Dull Violet Black — L* 8, C* 35Deep Indigo — L* 6, C* 22Deep Slate Green — L* 17, C* 12Grayish Lavender - A — L* 73, C* 21Grayish Lavender - B — L* 71, C* 10Laelia Pink — L* 67, C* 24Lilac — L* 62, C* 30Eupatorium Purple — L* 52, C* 48Light Mauve — L* 54, C* 34Aconite Violet — L* 53, C* 38Dull Blue Violet — L* 50, C* 26Dark Soft Violet — L* 44, C* 34Blue Violet — L* 39, C* 48Purple Drab — L* 42, C* 21Deep Violet / Plumbeous — L* 48, C* 6Veronia Purple — L* 41, C* 30Dark Slate Purple — L* 34, C* 23Taupe Brown — L* 36, C* 26Violet Carmine — L* 32, C* 26Violet — L* 31, C* 43Red Violet — L* 25, C* 45Cotinga Purple — L* 18, C* 36Dusky Madder Violet — L* 20, C* 34White — L* 100, C* 0Neutral Gray — L* 77, C* 4Mineral Gray — L* 71, C* 6Warm Gray — L* 67, C* 5Slate Color — L* 28, C* 9Black — L* 6, C* 1Pale Purplish Vinaceous — L* 92, C* 11Pale Cinnamon-Pink — L* 91, C* 13Pale Ecru-Drab — L* 75, C* 8Sea-foam Yellow — L* 92, C* 22Dull Citrine — L* 54, C* 23Pale Turtle Green — L* 83, C* 34Grape Green — L* 69, C* 40Pale King's Blue — L* 96, C* 7Pale Methy Blue — L* 68, C* 32Violet Ultramarine — L* 28, C* 85Dark Perilla Purple — L* 22, C* 23Dull Purplish Black — L* 23, C* 19
1007550250
← mutedchroma C*vivid →

vertical: lightness L*

Data table
ColorL*C*
Hermosa Pink8322
Corinthian Pink8027
Cameo Pink7718
Fawn7415
Light Brown Drab6414
Coral Red7046
Fresh Color7146
Grenadine Pink6756
Eosine Pink6748
Spinel Red6553
Old Rose5944
Eugenia Red - A5858
Eugenia Red - B5460
Raw Sienna5558
Vinaceous Tawny5363
Jasper Red5782
Spectrum Red5087
Red Orange5279
Etruscan Red5155
Burnt Sienna4657
Ochre Red4742
Scarlet4768
Carmine4475
Indian Lake4858
Rosolanc Purple4652
Pomegranite Purple4162
Hydrangea Red4347
Brick Red4258
Carmine Red3956
Pompeian Red3960
Red3857
Brown3537
Hay's Russet3139
Vandyke Red3049
Pansy Purple2846
Pale Burnt Lake3045
Violet Red2835
Vistoris Lake3321
Sulpher Yellow9322
Pale Lemon Yellow9534
Naples Yellow9237
Ivory Buff8627
Seashell Pink8821
Light Pinkish Cinnamon8434
Pinkish Cinnamon7839
Cinnamon Buff8446
Cream Yellow8255
Golden Yellow7457
Vinaceous Cinnamon7535
Ochraceous Salmon7133
Isabella Color7034
Maple6834
Olive Buff7825
Ecru7217
Yellow9596
Lemon Yellow9378
Apricot Yellow8989
Pyrite Yellow7450
Olive Ocher7562
Yellow Ocher7663
Orange Yellow7881
Yellow Orange7379
Apricot Orange6962
Orange6480
Peach Red5979
English Red5769
Cinnamon Rufous5749
Orange Rufous5560
Sulphine Yellow6761
Khaki6157
Citron Yellow7260
Citrine6655
Buffy Citrine5733
Dark Citrine5523
Light Grayish Olive5317
Krongbergs Green5522
Olive5242
Orange Citrine5044
Sudan Brown5032
Olive Green4628
Light Brownish Olive4823
Deep Grayish Olive3920
Pale Raw Umber3727
Sepia3431
Madder Brown2943
Mars Brown Tobacco2836
Vandyke Brown2424
Turquoise Green8518
Glaucous Green8010
Dark Greenish Glaucous7714
Yellow Green8150
Light Green Yellow8163
Night Green7367
Olive Yellow6538
Artemesia Green5813
Andover Green518
Rainette Green6426
Chromium Green5824
Pistachio Green5619
Sea Green6549
Benzol Green5455
Light Porcelain Green5338
Green5838
Dull Viridian Green5351
Oil Green5847
Diamine Green4340
Cossack Green4536
Lincoln Green3622
Blackish Olive3314
Deep Slate Olive1911
Nile Blue8814
Pale King's Blue8218
Light Glaucous Blue7814
Salvia Blue6917
Cobalt Green7929
Calamine Blue7728
Venice Green7432
Cerulian Blue5536
Peacock Blue5352
Green Blue5434
Olympic Blue5331
Blue4350
Antwarp Blue4240
Helvetia Blue3538
Dark Medici Blue4511
Dusky Green2836
Deep Lyons Blue2943
Violet Blue3023
Vandar Poel's Blue3127
Dark Tyrian Blue2120
Dull Violet Black835
Deep Indigo622
Deep Slate Green1712
Grayish Lavender - A7321
Grayish Lavender - B7110
Laelia Pink6724
Lilac6230
Eupatorium Purple5248
Light Mauve5434
Aconite Violet5338
Dull Blue Violet5026
Dark Soft Violet4434
Blue Violet3948
Purple Drab4221
Deep Violet / Plumbeous486
Veronia Purple4130
Dark Slate Purple3423
Taupe Brown3626
Violet Carmine3226
Violet3143
Red Violet2545
Cotinga Purple1836
Dusky Madder Violet2034
White1000
Neutral Gray774
Mineral Gray716
Warm Gray675
Slate Color289
Black61
Pale Purplish Vinaceous9211
Pale Cinnamon-Pink9113
Pale Ecru-Drab758
Sea-foam Yellow9222
Dull Citrine5423
Pale Turtle Green8334
Grape Green6940
Pale King's Blue967
Pale Methy Blue6832
Violet Ultramarine2885
Dark Perilla Purple2223
Dull Purplish Black2319

Fig. 5 — The palette by hue

How the colors distribute across hue families — greens and blues dominate, true purples are scarce.

Red
26
Pink
6
Orange
25
Brown
22
Yellow
21
Green
31
Blue
17
Violet
16
Neutral
7
Data table
FamilyColors
Red26
Pink6
Orange25
Brown22
Yellow21
Green31
Blue17
Violet16
Neutral7

Fig. 6 — How big a palette runs

Colors per plate, both volumes on one scale. Vol. Ⅰ holds to duos, trios and quartets and stops dead at four; Vol. Ⅱ's applied patterns spill past it — four and five colors are the working range, and a few reach nine. Different jobs, different breadth.

Vol. ⅠVol. Ⅱ
2 colors
120
4
3 colors
120
51
4 colors
108
68
5 colors
53
6 colors
40
7 colors
12
8 colors
4
9 colors
1
Data table
ColorsVol. ⅠVol. Ⅱ
21204
312051
410868
5053
6040
7012
804
901

Fig. 7 — Wada's calendar of color

Vol. Ⅱ opens with a year of color — twelve monthly schemes, six patterns each. Here every month's distinct colors, lightest first. Spring runs richest (March fields 33 colors); high summer pares back to barely twenty.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Data table
MonthDistinct colors
January31
February29
March33
April26
May21
June25
July21
August23
September21
October25
November24
December23

Fig. 8 — The hands behind Vol. Ⅱ

The applied plates were designed by a named studio of artists — fourteen of them share the 135 credited patterns, each shown with the color they reached for most. The most prolific signed thirty, nearly a quarter of the section.

木下茂
30
八島進
19
細野尚志
19
稗田研二
15
岡部義郎
13
熊田早苗
7
寺尾作次郎
7
荒木明
6
吉村幸一郎
5
和田三造
4
西野弘
3
小林太郎
3
松川桀二
2
吉村功一郎
2
Data table
DesignerPatternsSignature
木下茂30White
八島進19White
細野尚志19Black
稗田研二15Spectrum Red
岡部義郎13White
熊田早苗7Black
寺尾作次郎7Black
荒木明6Black
吉村幸一郎5Dark Medici Blue
和田三造4Black
西野弘3Chromium Green
小林太郎3Spectrum Red
松川桀二2Red Orange
吉村功一郎2Eugenia Red - B

Fig. 9 — What Wada called them

The last character of each Japanese color name. Beyond plain 色 “color”, the palette is steeped in 茶 tea browns and 鼠 mouse grays — Edo-period naming at work.

色iro
103
茶cha
19
鼠nezumi
10
紫murasaki
6
other
33
Data table
EndingReadingNames
色iro — “color”103
茶cha — “tea”19
鼠nezumi — “mouse gray”10
紫murasaki — “purple”6
othereverything else33

Fig. 10 — How hues pair — Vol. Ⅱ

The same co-occurrence as Fig. 3, now across Vol. Ⅱ's 233 applied patterns. Their palettes run to nine colors, so almost every hue meets every other and the grid fills in where Vol. Ⅰ's stayed sparse — applied design mixes far more freely than the plates.

RedPinkOrangeBrownYellowGreenBlueVioletNeutralRed172677416568732290Pink263715242831834Orange7737404962861062388Brown4115499355744934Yellow652462352184752383Green682886578444702299Blue73311064475705824108Violet228239232224817Neutral9034883483991081761

Darker cell — more plates pairing the two hues. Diagonal: same-hue pairings.

Data table
RedPinkOrangeBrownYellowGreenBlueVioletNeutral
Red172677416568732290
Pink2603715242831834
Orange7737404962861062388
Brown4115499355744934
Yellow652462352184752383
Green682886578444702299
Blue73311064475705824108
Violet228239232224817
Neutral9034883483991081761

Fig. 11 — Where Vol. Ⅱ's color goes to work

Past the twelve months, Vol. Ⅱ sorts its patterns by application — clothing and kimono take the largest share, with print, ceramics and woven textiles the smaller fields. Each is shown as its own palette, lightest first, with its pattern count.

Clothes, Accessories50
Kimono32
Others26
Book Design, Poster, Wrapping Paper22
Earthenware, Lacquerware21
Tapestry, Carpets10
Data table
ApplicationPatternsColors
Clothes, Accessories5085
Kimono3282
Others2680
Book Design, Poster, Wrapping Paper2258
Earthenware, Lacquerware2147
Tapestry, Carpets1034

Fig. 12 — The seasonal light curve

Average Lab lightness of each month's colors — the light arc behind Fig. 7's calendar, higher meaning paler. April and August turn palest, October darkest: a month-by-month swing rather than a smooth seasonal curve.

JFMAMJJASOND
Data table
MonthAvg L*
January63
February57
March57
April69
May60
June62
July58
August69
September59
October56
November58
December59

Fig. 13 — How light each hue runs

Average lightness of every hue family. Pinks, yellows and oranges sit near paper; violets and blues brood darkest — the vertical spread Fig. 4 fans into a cloud, here reduced to nine marks.

Red
46
Pink
73
Orange
71
Brown
46
Yellow
72
Green
61
Blue
45
Violet
39
Neutral
60
Data table
FamilyAvg L*
Red46
Pink73
Orange71
Brown46
Yellow72
Green61
Blue45
Violet39
Neutral60

Fig. 14 — Which colors carry text

Every color read as a background: whether black or white body text clears WCAG AA (4.5 : 1) on it. Remarkably, all 171 carry one or the other — the lighter two-thirds take black, the darker third white, and just two sit on the seam where either works.

Black text
107
White text
62
Either
2
Data table
Body textColors
Black text107
White text62
Either2