About this combination
Tobi-iro — kite brown — is the color of the common Japanese black kite's feathers: warm, dusty, rural. Paired with kogane gold leaf, it is the brown of an old lacquer box with gilt edges, a signature of Edo craftsmanship.
Where it works
- Heritage craft, lacquerware, leather
- Premium spirits and whiskey
- Editorial for classic fiction
Historical context
This combination from Wada's catalog anchors Tobi, Kogane and Sumi in the brown family — a 3-colour grouping with a warm, earthy, refined character, recorded in the Edo-era volumes of Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, where these shikisai names have sat in the public domain for generations. Its strongest pairing — Kogane on Sumi — reaches a contrast ratio of 6.73:1, meeting the WCAG AA bar for body text, so it holds up for text-on-colour layouts as well as decorative use.