Taccia - Ukiyoe - Nakamurasaki

Taccia - Ukiyo-e - Nakamurasaki - Ink drop

This is Nakamurasaki from Taccia. It’s part of the second set of inks in the Ukiyo-e series and was released in 2021. Inspired by ukiyo-e master Hiroshige, the beautiful packaging features his woodblock print Precincts of Kameido Tenjin Shrine which prominently features the color.

Taccia - Ukiyo-e - Nakamurasaki - Color Range

The name Nakamurasaki means middle purple, and it’s also a variety of Japanese sweet potato of the same color. I think of this as more of a medium dark, dusty grey purple with just a touch of red. A thin band of bronze sheen shows in the splatter, but it doesn’t appear in writing. It isn’t considered a shading ink, but on coated papers I found moderate, albeit somewhat underwhelming variation. It’s not a bad color, but in writing, it doesn’t inspire gasps of adoration.

Taccia - Ukiyo-e - Nakamurasaki - Shading and Edge

At its best, it’s a nice, professional, low-risk color that writes well enough, but it’s a bit picky at times. In general, it performs well, but can occasionally feather or spread and seems highly reactive to fingerprint oils on the page. For best results, I recommend narrower nibs and drier pens, and uncoated papers reduce the risks. It is, however, fairly quick in terms of drying, so that’s a nice feature.

Taccia - Ukiyo-e - Nakamurasaki - Ink Swatch Card

I typically enjoy Taccia inks, and particularly love the Ukiyo-e series. The bottles and packaging of this series are arguably unmatched in beauty and quality. Nakamurasaki is a fine ink, but the color lacks a real “wow!” Don’t hesitate on the series, but this wouldn’t be my first choice of the sixteen.

Taccia - Ukiyo-e - Nakamurasaki - Ink Bottle and Box