What colors are in the "Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1" palette?

Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1 contains 3 colors: Jasper Red (#eb5324), Benzol Green (#00978d), Deep Indigo (#051230). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1" palette created?

This palette is from Sanzo Wada's 1933 reference work "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (Seigensha Art Publishing 2010 reprint). Wada documented historical Japanese color combinations from the showa era and earlier periods. The source work is in the public domain.

What style or era does the "Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1" palette belong to?

Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 155 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Jasper Red, Benzol Green, Deep Indigo.

Can I use the "Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1" palette in my own design?

Yes. The source palette by Sanzo Wada (1933) is in the public domain. This page's curation and metadata are CC BY 4.0 licensed — attribution to colorcombinations.org appreciated but not required for the colors themselves.

Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1 — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 155 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A 3-colour grouping of Jasper Red, Benzol Green, Deep Indigo, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 155 of Wada's 348 anchors Jasper Red, Benzol Green and Deep Indigo in the red family — a 3-colour grouping with a solemn, warm character, recorded in the Showa-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 — Benzol Green on Deep Indigo — reaches a contrast ratio of 5.12:1, meeting the WCAG AA bar for body text, so it holds up for text-on-colour layouts as well as decorative use.

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Details

Era: Showa
Dominant hue: red
Moods: solemn, warm
Colors: 3

Accessibility

WCAG contrast ratios between every color pair. Use the strongest combinations for text; the weakest ones make good decorative backgrounds.

Strongest pair: Benzol Green on Deep Indigo — 5.12:1 (AA)

Jasper Red·Benzol Green1.00:1Fail
Jasper Red·Deep Indigo5.10:1AA
Benzol Green·Deep Indigo5.12:1AA

How to read this

AAA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AAA for normal text — the highest accessibility bar.
AA: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for normal text. Standard production requirement.
AA Large: Passes WCAG 2.1 AA for large text only (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold). Avoid for body copy.
Fail: Below WCAG 2.1 AA. Fine for decorative use — not for text.

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Preview

From the editorial · Long read

The Four Reds: Kurenai, Akane, Shu, Entan

Why Japanese tradition distinguishes safflower crimson from madder from vermilion from lead red — and which to reach for when the brief asks for 'a Japanese red.'

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Related combinations

Three palettes with a similar feel.

Showa era

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Jasper Red & Benzol Green +1

About this combination

Historical context

Embed this palette

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The Four Reds: Kurenai, Akane, Shu, Entan

Crimson & Navy— 紅と紺

Scorched Brown & Unbleached— 焦茶と生成

Madder Red & Evergreen— 茜と常磐

Persimmon & Burnt Brown— 柿と焦茶

Crimson Lake & Pine— 臙脂と松葉

Vermillion, Black, Gold— 朱・黒・金

Madder Brown & Deep Indigo

Brick Red & Red Violet

Taupe Brown & Slate Color