A Dictionary of Color Combinations

This book is a collection of 348 color combinations originated by Sanzo Wada (1883-1967) who, in that time of increasingly avant-garde and diversified use of color, was quick to focus on the importance of color and laid the foundation for contemporary color research.

The original 6-volume work Haishoku Soukan (The complete collection of color combinations), from which this booklet is derived, was published from 1933 to 1934. The work was compiled in early Showa, which was a turbulent pre-war and post-war period. But it was also a period permeated with a new atmosphere brought on by the influence of western culture.

The concept of "combining colors” was not generally recognized at the time, so, samplers of color combinations containing specific color combination patterns were highly unusual. Haishoku Soukan was the precursor of such samplers.

Sanzo Wada was active as an artist, art school instructor, costume designer for the movies and the theater, and kimono and fashion designer who employed his extensive and versatile talents to do innovative work that centered primarily on visual perception and form.

The little-known classic Haishoku Soukan has been reworked to produce this revised version.

The book not only presents color combinations that are an important record from the Taisho and Showa periods; readers may also perceive a universal sensitivity toward color that can be applied in daily life today.