Bellflower Color

Bellflower Color is a highly representative botanical color in Japanese tradition, taken from the blue-purple tone of the bellflower (kikyo). Bellflowers grow wild widely in Japan, with beautiful flower shapes. Already counted among the 'Seven Autumn Grasses' in the Heian period and widely recited in poetry, Bellflower Color consequently became a classic autumn hue.

In the Heian period, Bellflower Color held a place in the color coordination of the noble's twelve-layered robe (juni-hitoe). As a color choice for the outer robe (uwagi) or inner robe (uchiki), Bellflower Color was often paired with light purple and deep purple to create a monochromatic 'kasane-iro-me' (layered color scheme), expressing the brief splendor of autumn flowers and grasses before they wither.

During the Edo period, Kabuki actors and Ukiyo-e artists propelled Bellflower Color into fashion. Not as overly gaudy as deep purple, yet having more depth than light blue, it became a popular color for mature women's kimonos. Famous actors in actor prints often appeared in Bellflower Color kimonos, representing a refined sensuality.

After Western chemical pigments were introduced in the Meiji period, Bellflower Color was accurately reproduced as a synthetic dye, transitioning from noble exclusivity to popular use. It also appeared in female students' hakama, representing the flourishing of women's education at the time and the intellectual image of the 'New Woman.'

Bellflower Color remains highly beloved in the modern Japanese color system. It possesses both the rationality of blue and the elegance of purple, being an intermediate color that transcends age. In traditional Japanese crafts like Yuzen dyeing and Kutani ware, Bellflower Color is still an indispensable hue on the artisan's palette.