What colors are in the "Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +1" palette?

Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +1 contains 3 colors: Pale Burnt Lake (#802626), Buffy Citrine (#96874d), Grayish Lavender - A (#b5b1d8). From Sanzo Wada's "A Dictionary of Color Combinations" (1933).

When was the "Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +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 "Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +1" palette belong to?

Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +1 is associated with the showa era and emphasizes red tones. Plate 177 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Burnt Lake, Buffy Citrine, Grayish Lavender - A.

Can I use the "Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +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.

Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +1 — The Dictionary of Color Combinations

About this combination

Combination 177 of 348 in Wada's six-volume 1933 work. A 3-colour grouping of Pale Burnt Lake, Buffy Citrine, Grayish Lavender - A, as documented in the original plates.

Historical context

Plate 177 of Wada's 348 anchors Pale Burnt Lake, Buffy Citrine and Grayish Lavender - A in the red family — a 3-colour grouping with a refined, 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 — Pale Burnt Lake on Grayish Lavender - A — reaches a contrast ratio of 4.61:1, 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: refined, 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: Pale Burnt Lake on Grayish Lavender - A — 4.61:1 (AA)

Pale Burnt Lake·Buffy Citrine2.64:1Fail
Pale Burnt Lake·Grayish Lavender - A4.61:1AA
Buffy Citrine·Grayish Lavender - A1.75:1Fail

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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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

Grenadine Pink & Deep Indigo

Plate 6 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Grenadine Pink, Deep Indigo.

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Plate 17 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eugenia Red | B, Sea Green.

Pale Burnt Lake & Buffy Citrine +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

Pale Blue & Vermillion— 浅葱と朱

Celadon & Unbleached— 青磁と生成

Indigo Blue & Silver— 縹と銀

Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey— 刈安と利休鼠

Royal Purple & Silver— 紫と銀

Grenadine Pink & Deep Indigo

Vandyke Red & Pale King's Blue

Eugenia Red | B & Sea Green