Zebras (Mure no Naka nite - Inside the Herd) is a striking animal composition that transforms the zebra's natural patterning into a near-abstract interplay of black and white. Sekino's woodblock technique was ideally suited to this high-contrast subject. Market values range from $250-$700, with the dramatic visual impact commanding strong interest.
A zebra herd subject under the Japanese title "Mure no naka nite" — inside the herd — places the viewer within the striped crowd rather than observing from outside. Sekino's zebra prints, likely made following a visit to a zoo or after seeing wildlife photography, translate the abstract patterning of zebra stripes into a woodblock idiom that is itself pattern-driven, the animals' natural camouflage becoming a formal problem perfectly suited to the medium.
Hebizukai
1932
Color woodblock print; oban
1935
Color woodblock print; oban
1964
Acrylic paint and oil pastel with oiled charcoal and ink over an ink and graphite underdrawing on paper
1964
Color lithograph with relief block and hand coloring; edition 35/36
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Zebras, Mure no naka nite (Inside the Herd) was created by Jun'ichiro Sekino (関野準一郎).
Zebras, Mure no naka nite (Inside the Herd) uses Nishiki-e, Moku-hanga, and Kento, on woodblock print.
Zebras, Mure no naka nite (Inside the Herd) depicts animals and abstract.
