Burnt Sienna, terracotta, saffron or amber. Often known by far more exotic names, orange is the quintessential colour of autumn. It’s synonymous with Halloween pumpkins, flickering flames on Bonfire Night and the spectacular landscape at this time of year as nature puts on its annual show.
Which came first, the colour or the fruit?
In case you’re wondering, the fruit came first. It’s thought to have originated in Ancient China with references in Chinese literature going as far back as the 4th Century BC. Over time, it spread west becoming the most cultivated fruit tree in the world. Orange as a name for a colour has a much more recent history, dating back to the sixteenth century. Prior to that, the colour went by the more cumbersome name of ‘giolureade’ (yellow-red).