Taccia Historical Inks & its Importance

Ukiyo-e is a style of Japanese art that was popular from the 17th century through the 19th century. This style of art consisted mostly of kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, landscapes, floral paintings, historical scenes, folk tales, and more. This was done through woodblock prints and paintings.

Taccia released its first line of inks in 2018, which featured 13 simple primary colors, and they also released their Lipstick line recently, too. The Ukiyo-e series comes in two sets, each featuring four different colors. The Hokusai series is based on the landscape paintings from the artist Hokusai. The other series is based on the artist Sharaku who is famous for his portrait paintings.

Hokusai inks: Benitsuchi, Koiai, Saibimidori, and Fukakihanada

Benitsuchi, which translates to “Red Soil”, is inspired by the red soil of Mt. Fuji in Hokusai’s painting "Fine Wind, Clear Morning". This color is a rich red with orange undertones.

Kauai, which translates to “Dark Blue”, is inspired by the dark blues in his famous painting "The Great Wave off Kanagawa". This color is a dark indigo shade, which could be a useful blue-black.

Saibimidori, which translates to “Rust Green”, is inspired by the greens in his painting "Barrier Town on the Sumida River". This is a dark green with blue undertones, creating what would be like a dark turquoise. 

Fukakihanada, which translates to something like “It’s a deep flower”, is inspired by the light blues in his painting "Kajikazawa in Kai". This is a lighter blue with dark blue undertones. 

Sharaku inks: Kurocha, Akasakura, Koiame, and Natane

Kurocha, which translates to “black tea”, is inspired by Sharaku’s painting “Ōtani Oniji III”. This is deep chocolate or coffee colored ink. 

Akasakura, which translates to “red cherry tree”, is inspired by his painting of "Chikawa Omezo". This is lovely cherry blossom red. 

Koiame, which is dark-yellow brown, is inspired by his painting of "Ichikawa Ebizo IV". This reminds me of a more subtle burnt orange. 

Natane, which translates to “rapeseed”, is inspired by his painting of "Segawa Kikunojo III". This is a bright yellow mustard color. 

Each of these inks come in a beautiful box that represent each artwork it is inspired from, and come in a 40ml glass bottle. I personally love Japanese art, and I think this line of ink is gorgeous and represents the art work well. Depending on the nib size you’re using, and the type of paper you’re using, there are definitely a variety of shades that could be brought out from each ink.

Content Writing By: Amber J