enji-iro　燕脂色

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

A deep red colour, sometimes with a hint of purple. Dyes senryou 染料 and paints *enogu 絵具 of this colour, called shouenji 生燕脂 or enji 燕脂 were made using plants or insects. A red dye was made from the petals of the safflower, benibana 紅花 (see *beni 紅), and the root of the madder, akane 茜, which grew around the Mediterranean coast (see *akane-iro 茜色). Enji was also made from the lac scale insect (Coccus lacca) rakku-kaigaramushi ラックカイガラムシ, which was found in India, Burma and Thailand. The insect secreted a red colouring matter known as shikou 紫鉱. The most important insect material for enji was the cochineal insect (Coccus cacti) enjimushi 燕脂虫 native to Central America. This was dried and powdered to give a bright red colouring matter, imported to Japan from China in the Edo period. Nowadays the term enji is most commonly used to refer to paint made from the cochineal insect.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。