Our Home Goods

Sustainable Materials Sustaining Traditional Art —
Kin-maki-e Home Goods

Hand-printed in the Hokuriku Region of Japan, our wooden and paper home goods are adorned with an ancient technique that has over a thousand years of history. Kin-maki-e describes gold and metallic powders that are dusted onto distinctive materials and polished repeatedly to create a motif that reflects with fierce radiance.

Long ago, the ornamental design of kin-maki-e embellished religious articles owned by aristocrats and samurai families. The popularity for kin-maki-e eventually spread to wealthy merchants and artisans, and maki-e masters bloomed and thrived throughout Japan. It’s no wonder why — the way the glittering powder spreads across surfaces holds a magic all of its own. We at Claude wanted to take hold of some of that magic and bring it to your home.

That’s No Paper Moon

Kin-maki-e is maintained by those who carry on traditional techniques, while some incorporate modern methods and perspectives. We thought to combine this inspiring art form in a way to make it more accessible for future generations. Using high-quality, Japanese paper, we could create diverse and affordable pieces of art to be incorporated into your everyday life. Further, in this highly-digitized world, the physical sensation of keeping and admiring tactile items is becoming a more and more rarified experience. Take a break and ground yourself with our goods, and bring some glimmering magic into your life.

Stack Up Our Kiribako Trays

Stackable boxes have a long line of tradition in Japan of being filled with the classic New Year’s meal or acting as beautifully decorated treasure boxes. Such items have been used in Japan for over a millennium, and with such simple yet perfect function, this concept was easily translatable into a contemporary life setting. We at Claude thought to utilize this stackable arrangement and combine it with that kin-maki-e art form we have so come to love.

While historically applied to lacquer, the base material of our kin-maki-e design patterns used in our home goods collection is a 100% recyclable, waterproof, tree-free synthetic sheet that holds vivid light. Each box is made from kiri (Paulownia) wood from Fukuoka Prefecture, one of the fastest growing trees in the world and producer of wood that is both lightweight but strong.

Our practical and varied-size trays mean that you can stack and store as you like, bringing functional artwork into your personal space.