What is the traditional Japanese color "Gentian color"?
Gentian color is a traditional color that refers to a bright tone of blue-purple like the gentian flower. The root of the gentian is called "gentian" in Chinese medicine, and it was named after its very bitter taste, which is said to taste like dragon's bile. In the late Heian period court etiquette book "Mansusuke Shozokusho," gentian color is written as the color of layered clothing worn from August 8st to 1th, and its color is said to be the same as iris color. Along with the beauty of a vivid blue-purple, it is a time-honored color that was also used to color traditional costumes in the Heian period.
Dragon color = gentian color
Gentian is a perennial plant of the Gentianaceae family, and from September to November, it blooms blue-purple or red-purple flowers that face upward at the tips of the stems and the bases of the leaves. "Rintou-iro" is pronounced "rindou-iro."
DIC Japanese traditional colors: R102 G98 B164 #6662A4 / Gentian color
What is “Learn about Japan’s traditional colors”?
We will also introduce beautiful traditional Japanese colors, how to read their kanji, and the background behind the colors. Let's enjoy together the Japanese sensibilities that have been passed down since ancient times.
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Learn about Japan's traditional colors
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