Craftsmanship

Traditional crafts, such as eggshell and mother-of-pearl inlay, are at the heart of everything we do. Craftsmanship is the hallmark of all DK Home products. And the hallmark of fine craftsmanship is the artisan's hand. What machines produce to veritable perfection, artisans shape with a personal touch. No two handcrafted objects are alike. Variations are to be expected. Sizes are approximate, and colours may differ as well.

It’s the imperfection inherent to the individual human approach that makes every product unique. We love the look and feel – and the potential – of remarkable materials such as seashell, mother-of-pearl, eggshell, gold leaf and stingray leather. Polished seashells shimmer like gemstones. Light striking the surface of a shell from different angles releases a radiant rainbow of pink, blue, silver, white and gold. Originating in China, the art of eggshell inlay can be traced to the period of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
Lacquer inlaid with fragile eggshell makes for amazingly exquisite lacquerware – and it’s available at DK Home. The stingray – or ‘winged phantom of the deep’ – has captured our imagination for centuries. Hard and granular when dried, stingray skin is ground to a rough but no longer abrasive surface featuring pale, rounded protrusions. The tanning process makes the skin soft and pliable without compromising its incredible durability. Lending products an exclusive character, each of the materials discussed here must be applied by a master craftsman – a person who not only relies on knowledge passed down from his ancestors, but also goes through years of training before perfecting his skills.
We enjoy dedicated relationships with craftspeople specialized in traditional handwork. Most of the artisans we work with are located in China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Their ingenuity and skill, as well as their readiness to collaborate with our designers, is what makes DK Home products unique.

Crafts
Eggshell inlay in Vietnam. One of nature’s most fragile materials, eggshell, is combined with one of nature’s most durable products, lacquer. The union of these two materials, handcrafted with the use of techniques developed by skilled artisans centuries ago, adds an extra dimension to DK Home’s exquisite lacquerwareproducts.

Fine wirework in the Philippines. Done entirely by hand, wirework involves turning, twisting and weaving flexible strands of metal wire into a fixed form. Each piece bears the signature of the artisan that shaped it.

Mother-of-pearl inlay in Vietnam. Mother-of-pearl is the iridescent substance that forms the inner layer of certain mollusc shells. Artisans cut the harvested shells into predetermined shapes with a coping saw to create extremely intricate designs.

Seashell application in the Philippines. The mollusc has an incredibly strong, very durable shell. Working with seashells – a task that includes cleaning and cutting – requires skilled, patient and dedicated craftspeople.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
Stingray-leather application in the Philippines. The durable, multi-patterned skin of the stingray is among the finest materials used in decorative arts. The skin is dried, tanned and polished before being applied to furniture and other objects.

Gilding in Vietnam. The art of applying gold or silver leaf to objects, including lacquerware, is known as gilding. The process of producing the metallic leaf itself has been mechanized to a great degree; many of the machines used can duplicate the movement of the human arm.