All hail the Zebu.
I feel so lucky getting to do what I do. I was so fortunate to go and photograph Nero, the Zebu bull at Willowbank farm. The Willowbank farm is the only farm in NZ to have Zebu, so I was so excited to meet my very first Zebu cattle.
The animals at the Willowbank farm are special, as a lot of them are temporary residents of the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch, and they come back to the farm to reside or rest and to have a break from the public eye.
The Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is a New Zealand leader in conservation, with success in many national, Australasian and in-house breeding programmes focusing on New Zealand native and endangered species, as well as many rare and heritage breeds of farm stock. And that is how I got to meet Nero, the Zebu and the owner of Willowbank and founder of Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, Michael Willis.
Nero was a friendly old soul. Michael said he treats all his animals with respect that they deserve and this will show in their behaviour and nature. Nero was just that. Friendly and respectful and obviously happy in his surroundings. He was easy to walk up to take his photograph. I loved Nero’s balayage colourings and large hump on his shoulders. His was quite large, as the size of the humps increase as they get older. And not to forget his magnificent horns. Michael mentioned that they his Zebu’s have so much character and would often stand on their hind legs to reach up to a tree to have a nibble at their branches. Oh how I wish I could have seen that.
Zebu cattle are one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world. Two to three thousand years ago a group of zebu arrived in Sri Lanka and have bred unchanged since. Some Zebu were exported to North America in the 1920s, and most of the few animals in the rest of the world are derived from them. Their export is now prohibited. Only nineteen were imported into Australia in 1995, and four into New Zealand in 2009, by Michael Willis himself, so they are quite rare!
Product Information:
Fine Art Prints:
This is a fine art photograph printed on superior quality 310 gsm archival paper. It is 100% cotton rag, acid free and printed with high quality Epson inks. This image will run at a print number of 40.
Handle with Care - Please handle your prints with care and avoid overly rubbing or touching the surface. To keep your prints looking great, they must be handled with care and preferably framed or displayed right away. Oils from your fingertips can mark black prints easily. It is recommended for black prints to be opened and framed by a professional. Attempting to open and re roll the print to put back in the tube can damage your print.
This is limited edition print. Once they have sold out, no more will be printed under any circumstance. All limited edition prints will be numbered, named and signed.
Prices may increase as the limited edition run closes to an end.
Sizing Available: Portrait and Landscape Orientation
A3 (297mm x 420mm)
A2 (420mm x 594mm)
A1 (594mm x 842mm)
40 x 30 Inches ( 1010 x 762mm)
A0 (841mm x 1189mm)
60” x 40” (100cm x 150cm) please enquire about framing this size.
Sizing: Square Orientated Prints:
20 x 20 Inch ( 508mm x 508mm)
30 x 30 Inch (762mm x 762mm)
40 x 40 inch (1016mm x 1016mm)
Framing:
We offer a simple, contemporary moulding. Colours Available :White, Black, Oak Wood Grain. Please get in contact if you wish for another colour.
Frames are handmade and can be shipped worldwide. Frames are made with a high quality acrylic that is a great alternative to glass.
Acrylic is used in homes, businesses, museums & galleries.
Acrylic is so much stronger than conventional glass & significantly lighter than security glass. It is also more valuable than glass. This also enables the product to be shipped without the worry of your print being damaged in transit.
Glass is available if you prefer and are able to pick up from our framing locations. Please contact us first.
Our frames are sold printed and ready to hang. Parts of the animal will not be cropped off.
You have an option of selecting a white border. This will not increase the size of your print, the image will slightly shrink to allow room for the border in order for the print to remain the same size.
*Artist tip - black prints do show more reflection off the glass. For these limited edition prints we use a more expensive glass - UV70 for all sizes up to A1 in New Zealand. Please enquire for other countries. For larger sizes, please contact us at hello@bythehorns.co.nz as it is available for pick up in some areas. Otherwise we recommend the amazing canvas option for no reflection. If framing is selected for larger than A1 for the dark prints, and you have not requested for the UV70 glass, the regular acrylic glass will be used.
UltraVue® UV70 Glass
This water white glass offers crystal clear colour transmission and a virtually invisible, anti-reflective surface for truly amazing clarity.
Canvas Prints:
Not all canvas prints are created equal. We’re proud of our exceptional print quality, and ability to reproduce every nuance of your favourite images on beautifully textured canvas.
Printed on Cotton-polyester canvas, Fine Art inkjet printing and museum grade lacquer (lustre finish, protects against moisture, abrasion and UV damage).
We use only the best archival canvas, certified by the Fine Art Trade Guild.
Our canvas prints are presented on a sturdy 1-1/4” (32mm) stretcher frame, with hanging hardware already attached.
Floating Frames on a canvas look amazing!
