noun
permitted color (for courtiers' clothing)
Historical term referring to colors that were officially allowed for courtiers' garments in the Japanese imperial court, as opposed to forbidden colors (禁色).
See also: 禁色
平安時代には、許し色と禁色が厳格に区別されていた。
In the Heian period, permitted colors and forbidden colors were strictly distinguished.
禁色 refers to colors forbidden for courtiers, while 許し色 refers to those permitted.
Compound of 許し (yurushi, 'permission') and 色 (iro, 'color'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is associated with Heian-period sumptuary regulations.