November 26th: Sabi-nando

November 26th, Color Calendar

Rusty storeroom

"Time seeps into things that are put away."

The rust closet is a dull blue-green color, like indigo dye layered with gray.
This color evokes a sense of tranquility and depth, and originates from the dark color of the "storerooms" where rolls of cloth were stored during the Edo period.
Deeper than light blue and softer than indigo, it resembles the color of well-worn cloth or the inside of an old wooden box.

November 26th is when preparations for winter begin in earnest.
It's the season when blankets and hot water bottles are taken out of closets and storage rooms.
The rusted closet is the color of time that has permeated these stored items.
It has a depth that makes it seem as if it has quietly absorbed the seasons even while not in use.

"Unused time" and "poetry in the margins" are also important themes in WABISUKE's philosophy.
The rust closet is a perfect symbol of this.
It's unobtrusive, unspoken, just there.
Yet it certainly exists, deeply and quietly.

References

• "Traditional Japanese Colors" Shikosha • Sabi-Nando – The ABCs of Traditional Colors • Color 101 "Nando Colors and Their Similar Colors"