diff --git a/contracts/okp4-cognitarium/src/state/de.rs b/contracts/okp4-cognitarium/src/state/de.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e6e5ae32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/okp4-cognitarium/src/state/de.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+use crate::state::triples::{Literal, Node, Object, Subject};
+use cosmwasm_std::{StdError, StdResult};
+use cw_storage_plus::{Key, KeyDeserialize, Prefixer, PrimaryKey};
+
+fn parse_length(value: &[u8]) -> StdResult<usize> {
+    Ok(u16::from_be_bytes(
+        value
+            .try_into()
+            .map_err(|_| StdError::generic_err("Could not read 2 byte length"))?,
+    )
+    .into())
+}
+
+impl<'a> PrimaryKey<'a> for Subject {
+    type Prefix = ();
+    type SubPrefix = ();
+    type Suffix = Self;
+    type SuperSuffix = Self;
+
+    fn key(&self) -> Vec<Key> {
+        match self {
+            Subject::Named(node) => node.key(),
+            Subject::Blank(node) => vec![Key::Ref(&[]), Key::Ref(node.as_bytes())],
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> Prefixer<'a> for Subject {
+    fn prefix(&self) -> Vec<Key> {
+        self.key()
+    }
+}
+
+impl KeyDeserialize for Subject {
+    type Output = Subject;
+
+    fn from_vec(value: Vec<u8>) -> StdResult<Self::Output> {
+        let named = Node::from_vec(value)?;
+        if named.namespace.is_empty() {
+            return Ok(Subject::Blank(named.value));
+        }
+        Ok(Subject::Named(named))
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> PrimaryKey<'a> for Object {
+    type Prefix = ();
+    type SubPrefix = ();
+    type Suffix = Self;
+    type SuperSuffix = Self;
+
+    fn key(&self) -> Vec<Key> {
+        match self {
+            Object::Named(node) => {
+                let mut key: Vec<Key> = Vec::with_capacity(3);
+                key.push(Key::Val8([b'n']));
+                for k in node.key() {
+                    key.push(k);
+                }
+                key
+            }
+            Object::Blank(node) => {
+                let mut key: Vec<Key> = Vec::with_capacity(2);
+                key.push(Key::Val8([b'b']));
+                key.push(Key::Ref(node.as_bytes()));
+                key
+            }
+            Object::Literal(literal) => {
+                let encoded = literal.key();
+                let mut key: Vec<Key> = Vec::with_capacity(encoded.len() + 1);
+                key.push(Key::Val8([b'l']));
+                for k in encoded {
+                    key.push(k);
+                }
+                key
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl KeyDeserialize for Object {
+    type Output = Object;
+
+    fn from_vec(mut value: Vec<u8>) -> StdResult<Self::Output> {
+        let bytes = value.split_off(3);
+        match bytes[2] {
+            b'n' => Node::from_vec(value).map(|n| Object::Named(n)),
+            b'b' => Ok(Object::Blank(String::from_vec(value)?)),
+            b'l' => Literal::from_vec(value).map(|l| Object::Literal(l)),
+            _ => Err(StdError::generic_err("Could not deserialize Object")),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> PrimaryKey<'a> for Node {
+    type Prefix = ();
+    type SubPrefix = ();
+    type Suffix = Self;
+    type SuperSuffix = Self;
+
+    fn key(&self) -> Vec<Key> {
+        vec![
+            Key::Ref(self.namespace.as_bytes()),
+            Key::Ref(self.value.as_bytes()),
+        ]
+    }
+}
+
+impl<'a> Prefixer<'a> for Node {
+    fn prefix(&self) -> Vec<Key> {
+        self.key()
+    }
+}
+
+impl KeyDeserialize for Node {
+    type Output = Node;
+
+    fn from_vec(mut value: Vec<u8>) -> StdResult<Self::Output> {
+        let mut val = value.split_off(2);
+        let n_len = parse_length(&value)?;
+        let ns = val.split_off(n_len);
+
+        Ok(Node {
+            namespace: String::from_vec(ns)?,
+            value: String::from_vec(val)?,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+impl Literal {
+    fn key(&self) -> Vec<Key> {
+        match self {
+            Literal::Simple { value } => {
+                vec![Key::Ref(value.as_bytes()), Key::Ref(&[]), Key::Ref(&[])]
+            }
+            Literal::I18NString { value, language } => {
+                vec![
+                    Key::Ref(value.as_bytes()),
+                    Key::Ref(language.as_bytes()),
+                    Key::Ref(&[]),
+                ]
+            }
+            Literal::Typed { value, datatype } => {
+                let mut key: Vec<Key> = Vec::with_capacity(3);
+                key.push(Key::Ref(value.as_bytes()));
+                for k in datatype.key() {
+                    key.push(k);
+                }
+                key
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn from_vec(mut value: Vec<u8>) -> StdResult<Self> {
+        let mut part1 = value.split_off(2);
+        let p1_len = parse_length(&value)?;
+        let mut part2_len = part1.split_off(p1_len);
+
+        let mut part2 = part2_len.split_off(2);
+        let p2_len = parse_length(&part2_len)?;
+        let part3 = part2.split_off(p2_len);
+
+        if part3.is_empty() {
+            if part2.is_empty() {
+                return Ok(Literal::Simple {
+                    value: String::from_vec(part1)?,
+                });
+            }
+            return Ok(Literal::I18NString {
+                value: String::from_vec(part1)?,
+                language: String::from_vec(part2)?,
+            });
+        }
+        Ok(Literal::Typed {
+            value: String::from_vec(part1)?,
+            datatype: Node {
+                value: String::from_vec(part2)?,
+                namespace: String::from_vec(part3)?,
+            },
+        })
+    }
+}
diff --git a/contracts/okp4-cognitarium/src/state/mod.rs b/contracts/okp4-cognitarium/src/state/mod.rs
index 779733ec..89fdb3c4 100644
--- a/contracts/okp4-cognitarium/src/state/mod.rs
+++ b/contracts/okp4-cognitarium/src/state/mod.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+mod de;
 mod store;
 mod triples;