[Explanation of a color]

The Koubai-iro, it is the pale pink that is somewhat Mino purple, such as the color of plum blooming in early spring flowers. Origin of the color name is literally from the color of light pink flowers.

“Koubai-iro” is a kind of safflower dyed using the Asteraceae safflower, there are variations such as “Kokikoubai” “Nakakoubai” “Usukoubai” by the depth of its color. However, it was the Lord speaking of “Koubai” of the literature refers to the “Nakakoubai”. In addition, there is also in the name of color of Kasane, it represents a fairly strong red decor “table-red, back · Suou”.

In addition to the “Sadatake miscellaneous notes” of the late Edo period, but light pink was the color close once in the “pink”, in recent years it has been marked When has become a thing of the dark, “magenta”, in the Edo period You can see that it was called light pink to dark purple red.

Plum Rosaceae Prunus of deciduous tree. China but until the Nara period in origin had been imported, white plum is transmitted by the envoys, still it was generalized by also transmitted plum in the Heian period. Sei Shōnagon also “Pillow Book” in the “Most Medetaki thing,” “tree of flowers, the other also like plum respiratory” have fried.

Hongmei flowering to tell the coming of spring in early spring. That is the color of the flower “Koubai-iro” also pale red is the image of a spring, it is also now a long time ago also popular color name to the woman.

-read: Kobai-iro-