Zosho

The title Zōsho — literally a personal book collection or library — points to a still-life or interior subject built around stacked volumes, perhaps Sekino's own books or those of a sitter. Such bookplate-adjacent and library subjects connect to the ex-libris (zōsho-hyō) tradition, a small-format genre that sosaku-hanga artists including Onchi Kōshirō cultivated as a serious vehicle for the medium. Compositions of this kind typically rely on the rectangular geometry of book spines arranged in horizontal or vertical stacks, with carved titles or characters integrated into the design. Sekino's handling would exploit the contrast between the flat printed color of cloth bindings and the textured grain of wooden shelving, often allowing the woodblock's own grain to register through the impression. The print reflects the movement's interest in domestic, intimate subjects drawn from the artist's immediate surroundings rather than the public meisho subjects of earlier ukiyo-e.