DEÑC-MITI and DEÑC-MAJI: from pattern to leather-covered wooden box
A small home for treasured things
Some boxes are simply for storage. Others have a presence of their own, even with the lid closed. DEÑC belongs to the latter. Its round shape holds jewellery, keys, keepsakes and small accessories, while giving the materials and pattern room to be appreciated.
The collection comprises two designs: DEÑC-MITI, whose leather draws on the visual language of Koko Dunda, and DEÑC-MAJI, with its low profile and tie-dye pattern worked by hand on the lid. In both, the pattern is created by resist-dyeing the leather itself, never by printing.
From wood to leather
The boxes are handmade in Senegal by the same artisan tanner who makes the leather baskets selected by Studio Matongé. Wood provides the structure and gives each box its shape. The leather is then fitted around it, covering the sides and carefully finished around the lid.
Covering the wood in leather means working with two materials that behave differently. The wood defines a precise form; the leather must follow its contours while retaining its grain. Slight variations may occur from one piece to the next. These are traces of handcraft, rather than a deliberately repeated effect.
Resist-dyeing adapted to leather
Resist-dyeing involves protecting parts of a material to control where the colour reaches. On cotton, folds, crumples and bindings are combined with successive dye baths. The principle remains the same on leather, but the process changes: the material is prepared and softened, then folded, crumpled or bound before the colour is applied.
As leather cannot withstand prolonged immersion in hot water, the dye is applied to specific areas or through a very brief cold dip. The piece is then dried in the shade and given a protective finish to help stabilise the colours. The pressure of a fold, the position of a binding and the grain of the leather all influence the result. Each box retains a visible record of how it was made.
Strictly speaking, Koko Dunda is a textile craft originating in Burkina Faso. In leatherwork, its aesthetic can be reinterpreted by bonding fabric onto leather or, as here, by adapting the resist-dyeing process to the leather itself. DEÑC boxes are not covered in fabric: their leather is dyed by hand.
DEÑC-MITI: the movement of Koko Dunda on leather
On DEÑC-MITI, the colour extends across the lid, sides and interior. Shades meet in organic compositions: purple and ochre, turquoise and natural leather, coral and green, cobalt, rust or fuchsia.
The pattern draws on the visual language of Koko Dunda, a textile hand-dyed in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. The box itself, however, is not made from that fabric. The artisan adapts the folding, resist-dyeing and colouring techniques behind its patterns to leather. This brings together Koko Dunda’s textile roots in Bobo-Dioulasso and the craft of covering wood in leather in Senegal.
DEÑC-MITI comes in three sizes. Each colour composition corresponds to the piece photographed, so the pattern and shades shown are those of the box you choose.
DEÑC-MAJI: a pattern centred on the lid
DEÑC-MAJI has a lower profile. Its lid is the focus of the design: coloured lines cross a lighter background, forming a branching pattern. The plain leather sides and interior give the pattern room to breathe.
Two colour combinations are available: red and natural, or deep green and salmon. The pattern is created directly on the leather using a resist-dyeing process adapted to the material. It is neither printed nor applied as a separate decoration: areas protected before dyeing form the lines on the lid, and their variations give each piece its own character.
Made to be enjoyed and used
On a bedside table, console or desk, DEÑC boxes hold the small things you want to keep close at hand. A removable lid makes them easy to use, while the leather surface brings warmth alongside the wood, glass and textiles in your home.
For everyday care, a soft, dry cloth is all that is needed. A neutral, colourless leather care product can be applied occasionally, after testing on an inconspicuous area to check that it does not alter the colour or pattern. Over time, the leather may develop a patina, subtly changing the appearance of each piece.
