Showa era
Pompeian Red & Mineral Gray
Plate 30 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pompeian Red, Mineral Gray.
#ab2439
red · 6 palettes
Pompeian Red
About Pompeian Red
Pompeian Red is a mid-tone, vivid red tone. Its hex value is #ab2439 — that is
RGB 171, 36, 57, or HSL 351°, 65%, 41%.
It holds 6.9:1 contrast against white, so Pompeian Red works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 6.9:1; on black 3.0:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Pompeian Red appears in 6 combinations — most often paired with Mineral Gray, Ochraceous Salmon and Cameo Pink.
Colours that go with Pompeian Red
From a standard colour wheel, Pompeian Red anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#ab2439 #24AB96
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#ab2439 #AB247C #AB5324
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#ab2439 #39AB24 #2439AB
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#ab2439 #24AB53 #247CAB
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Pompeian Red
Pompeian Red is a mid-tone, vivid tone (HSL 351°, 65%, 41%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (6.9:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#24AB96) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#AB247C and #AB5324) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Studio
Taking Pompeian Red off the screen
A hex code is an instruction to a screen, not a colour. Where this one is going decides what it needs next.
Affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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...onto paper
Start here if the palette gets printed. Screen colour and ink colour are not the same colour, and this is the deck that translates between them.
Listed on Amazon as Pantone GP6102B Color Bridge Guide Set Coated & Uncoated, Multi-Colour
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...onto a screen you can trust
Start here if it stays digital. An uncalibrated monitor is the single most common reason a palette that looked right on your desk looks wrong everywhere else.
Calibrite
ColorChecker Studio spectrophotometer
Listed on Amazon as Calibrite ColorChecker Studio Spectrophotometer for Complete Color Management for Display, Projector, Printer and Scanner Profiling
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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 36
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
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Palettes with Pompeian Red
Pompeian Red appears in 6 combinations from the archive. Each pairing reveals how the same color shifts character depending on its neighbours. For how usage like this compares across the whole dictionary, see the data analysis of all 348 plates.
Questions about Pompeian Red
- What is the hex code for Pompeian Red?
- Pompeian Red is #ab2439. It appears in 6 historical color combinations from Sanzo Wada's 1933 "A Dictionary of Color Combinations".
- What does Pompeian Red look like on white and black backgrounds?
- Pompeian Red (#ab2439) has a WCAG contrast ratio of 6.90:1 against white (#FFFFFF) and 3.04:1 against black (#000000). WCAG AA requires 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
- Where does the color Pompeian Red come from?
- Pompeian Red is documented in Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933, Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada catalogued red pigments and historical Japanese color terms. The source work is in the public domain.
- Can I use Pompeian Red in my own design or brand?
- Yes. The color name and hex value (#ab2439) are factual data — not copyrightable. Our curation and descriptions are CC BY 4.0 licensed.
From the archive
Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.
- All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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- Full JSON — colors, names, eras, moods, dominant hues
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