Zebrawood: Designing with Light and Dark Stripes
Wood Dictionary
Zebrawood catches the eye with dark stripes against a light background. Also called zebrano, it suits designs in which the grain itself takes the lead. The direction of the stripes and the area you cover can give the same wood very different expressions. PROTA Timbers 2: Microberlinia brazzavillensis, pp. 462–465, ITTO-hosted edition
The photographs are examples of the color and grain associated with each wood or figure. Every piece of natural wood is different; the sheet you receive will not have exactly the same color or grain as the photographs.
Names and identification
- Trade name and other names
- Zebrawood / Zebrano / Zingana MORI KOUGEI: Zebrawood A4 veneer sheet / Hoxan: Zebrawood
- General classification
- Timber of the genus Microberlinia, family Fabaceae, including M. brazzavillensis Hoxan: Zebrawood / PROTA Timbers 2: Microberlinia brazzavillensis, pp. 462–465, ITTO-hosted edition
- General source region
- Africa Hoxan: Zebrawood
- A4 sheet cut
- Quarter-sawn MORI KOUGEI: Zebrawood A4 veneer sheet
A name that recalls a zebra
The zebra in zebrawood refers to the animal's stripes. MORI KOUGEI describes the wood in terms of its clearly contrasting grain. In general usage, zebrano denotes African timbers of the genus Microberlinia. Even without familiarity with botanical names, its alternating pale areas and dark lines make it easy to remember. MORI KOUGEI: Zebrawood A4 veneer sheet / PROTA Timbers 2: Microberlinia brazzavillensis, pp. 462–465, ITTO-hosted edition
Look at the dark lines and the pale spaces together
The wood generally has pale yellowish-brown heartwood with fine dark-brown streaks. Its quarter-sawn stripes are highly decorative. Thinking of the surface as lines and spaces, rather than simply as brown wood, helps reveal its character. Stripe spacing and intensity vary; it does not repeat a fixed pattern like a print. PROTA Timbers 2: Microberlinia brazzavillensis, pp. 462–465, ITTO-hosted edition
Across a full surface, the stripes become the focus; in narrow strips, they can emphasize an outline or division. For a box lid, part of a frame or a panel, begin by deciding which direction you want the stripes to run in the finished piece. Try the sheet both vertically and horizontally to see which suits your design.
Create patterns by arranging veneer
MORI KOUGEI's product description also mentions patterned arrangements such as chevron and radial layouts. With such visible stripes, the boundaries between changes of direction become part of the composition. Lines will not necessarily continue perfectly from one sheet to another, however. Arrange the actual pieces and check how their patterns meet before cutting. MORI KOUGEI: Zebrawood A4 veneer sheet
Use the stripes as an A4 decorative surface
Our zebrawood A4 product is quarter-sawn, measuring 210 × 297 mm and approximately 0.25 mm thick. It combines natural wood veneer with industrial washi paper, bringing grain to the surface of a substrate without the weight or thickness of a solid board. It is also an option for small surfaces where a genuine wood pattern is desired. MORI KOUGEI: Zebrawood A4 veneer sheet
The product page gives examples including furniture edges, repairs to flat wooden surfaces, wood inlay and decorative faces on speaker enclosures. Check the area to be covered and the position of each cut first so that the stripes you want to feature remain visible. Test bonding and finishing methods on a small piece before choosing the approach suited to your substrate and use. MORI KOUGEI: Zebrawood A4 veneer sheet
Explore related woods
This article draws on publicly available sources from Japan and abroad, with AI used to support research and organization.