Compact, structured and quietly commanding, Nozuko is cut from ethically hunted gemsbok in a cool oxblood finish, its sweeping lower panel bringing movement to a clean east-west silhouette.
Named for glory and honour, Nozuko balances strength with restraint. The naturally grained gemsbok hide is selected for its strength and its ability to hold a precise architectural line. A broad leather panel sweeps diagonally across the lower front, giving the bag its defining movement without overwhelming its compact form. Four polished oval links connect the sculpted top handle to the body. Set discreetly at the lower front-right is the MBALI Nugget — an irregular, individually die-cast and hand-textured emblem carrying the House's unchanging protea linework, recessed into a hand-cut seat so the leather lips over its edge. Deliberately small, it is a signature rather than a badge. The cool oxblood shifts between deep burgundy, mineral red and near-black as the light changes, and natural variation in the hide means no two pieces are exactly alike.
All MBALI metal components — chains, rings, buckles, sliders and feet — are brass with a 24-carat gold-plated finish.
Vegetable-tanned in small batches by a specialist tannery selected for this particular hide. The process develops tonal depth and strength while preserving the natural grain and markings of the animal.
Specification
- Exterior — Full-grain African game hide, vegetable-tanned with bark-derived tannins, including African acacia and mimosa/wattle extracts
- Hardware — Four polished oval links in gold-plated solid brass; small hand-textured 24-carat gold-plated MBALI Nugget recessed at the lower front-right
- Making — One lead artisan is responsible throughout — hide assessment, cutting, shaping, principal seams saddle-stitched, edges built and burnished, hardware set
- Record — Piece serial struck on the reverse of the seal and linked to its Hide Origin ID
- 25 cm W × 18 cm H × 9 cm D
- Top-handle drop 9 cm
- Full-grain African gemsbok exterior in cool oxblood / black-cherry burgundy
- Compact structured east-west silhouette with sculpted sweeping lower panel
- Handle attachment on four polished oval links
- Hand carry
- Made individually in strictly limited quantities
- Indicative lead time 12–16 weeks, subject to hide availability
- Product code NOZ-TH-250-OXB-24K
Making & delivery
Ten to sixteen weeks from confirmation, then insured express delivery worldwide.
Prices exclude import duties and local taxes. Some countries restrict the import of game leather; we confirm this before taking your order.
Why the time matters
Every MBALI piece is made to order. The estimated ten-to-sixteen-week period allows the selected hide to be conditioned and mapped to the pattern, its tone to be completed, and each panel to be cut, shaped, saddle-stitched, fitted and finished under the responsibility of one lead artisan.
The finished piece is then inspected, individually numbered and entered into the MBALI Origin Register before insured delivery.
We confirm the expected completion date when your hide and allocation are approved. We do not shorten the process by substituting an anonymous hide or a pre-made body.
Origin Commission
The requested hide is not presently held in the MBALI register. You may request an Origin Commission, through which a suitable hide is identified through an approved wildlife-management programme, documented, tanned and reserved specifically for your piece. The schedule is confirmed before the commission is accepted.
Returns & care
Cancel in full any time before cutting begins. Unpersonalised pieces may be returned within 14 days; personalised pieces cannot be returned unless faulty.
We restore any piece we have made, quoted in writing beforehand.
Authentication & resale
The serial struck on the reverse of the seal is linked to the Hide Origin ID of the material this piece was cut from. Send us the serial and we will confirm the hide origin, the tannery, the maker and the date it left the bench.
Ownership can be transferred in the register free of charge, so a resold piece keeps its provenance. MBALI does not deal in the resale market and does not appraise resale values.
Tones — 4 available
- Cool Oxblood
- Black Cherry
- Deep Black
- Espresso
- Availability
- Made to Order
- Next step
- Begin Configuration
- Lead time
- Ten to sixteen weeks from confirmation
- Made in
- Made in Cape Town, South Africa
- Hide
- Gemsbok Oryx, full-grain, cool oxblood
- Hardware
- Four polished oval links in gold-plated solid brass; small hand-textured 24-carat gold-plated MBALI Nugget recessed at the lower front-right
- Price
- €3,800
Made to order · Estimated completion 10–16 weeks
Your hide is conditioned and mapped to the pattern, the tone completed, and every panel cut, shaped, saddle-stitched and finished under one lead artisan before the piece is numbered and registered. See why the time matters above.
Choose your tone, monogram, any engraving and the name the piece is registered to on the next step — no account needed. You sign in only at checkout to settle.