1052 shades of colour: The versatility of Japanese historic natural dyes

Book title: 定本 和の色事典 [English: ‘Dictionary of Japanese Colour’]
Editor: 早坂優子 [Yuko Hayasaka]
ISBN: 978-4881082034

Japanese historic textiles, as much as their modern version, are famouse for one thing in particular: their incredible versatility in colour application, and intricate gradations of colours that seem impossible to achieve considering the means of the days: natural dyes, only.

What is little known however, that in the Middle Age, the nobles and the rich in Korea and Japan had a highly refined colour sense, and a very intricate system of meanings attached to each individual shade.

According to most recent research, Japan in fact, knows 1052 colours that are each identified individually with their own name (right: colour palette chart). Within societal rules a system was even devised where the shades, and their allowed or forbidden uses, was regulated according to the medium the dye was applied to: Silk, cotton, hemp, ceramic, wood etc.
The only akin equivalent of this system is of fairly modern invention indeed: the Pantone system of colours and shades, which also is based on the colour’s combination with its application base (natural or synthetic fabric, metal, etc.).

Some of these traditional dye colours of Japan and Korea can in the modern age not be recreated anymore identically: the resource based on which it was created is no longer extant, and the closest approximation can now only be achieved through artificial dyes and colours, which however lack the visual versatility of the historic equivalent. Such an example is a shade that was known as “king-fisher” colour in pottery – in the West now called Korean celadon – an iron based blue-green glaze created by reducing oxygen in the kiln. To achieve the same shade of colour for fabrics the bark of a now extinct tree is required, making it impossible to recreate identical results.

In Japan, and Korea, the name of every single colour had, still has, an origin and a specific meaning. Many a name was taken as is from the respective shades of plant leaves, flowers, the seasons and rhythms of nature. Others were taken out of everyday life.

In Japan, and for over ten thousand years, the primarily available colours were ‘beni‘ – an intense red bordering at equally intense pink – and ‘kaimurasaki‘ – a dark red shade – were what used to colour objects of all types, in addition to the colours nature came up with herself.
Only from the 6th century onwards and initated through influence from China, gradually the full range of curently 1052 natural dye colour shades evolved, with the latest additions dating back just over 150 years.

The possibly most impactful message that this ‘Dictionary of Japanese Colour’ brings across is clear and loud: Natural dyes are neither dull nor limited in range. Quite to the contrary – they are very much capable of creating an incredible range of vibrant and nuanced shades of colours.
But – and also this is a clear message – to exploit their potential an equally incredible amount of skill and knowledge is required. Most of which has been forgotten in the course of the past 150 to 200 years.

Sadly this book only exists as a fully Japanese edition, an sadly the editors have forgotten to include romanisations of the traditional Japanese colour names to facilitate at least a basic knowledge transfer to non-Japanese speakers. This all said, the book is an incredible source of knowledge. No other so far existing work not only lists the full range of traditional colours, their background, historic context and development interdepence.
For fashion designers and artists, despite the language barrier, a must have for their inspiration library.