DDW2505

The Traditionalist Purse Cultuurstelsel Edition revisits one of the most controversial policies of the Dutch East Indies: the Cultivation System (Cultuurstelsel), which demanded forced labour and crops from Javanese farmers in the nineteenth century. Through this edition, Melissa Sunjaya transforms a story of oppression into a reflection on resilience, questioning how systems of power continue to shape the everyday lives of ordinary people.

The artwork, hand-pulled in serigraphy, combines archival botanical motifs with economic symbols from colonial records, portraying the tension between nature’s abundance and human exploitation. The result is a visual essay on value—what is taken, what is given, and what endures through time.

Designed with refined simplicity, the Traditionalist Purse offers a practical flat form for daily use, complete with internal pockets for essentials. Made from water repellent unbleached cotton canvas, it merges strength with tactile warmth, carrying both purpose and poetry.

This edition includes the 1830 Bag Charm and a Bien Strap (90 cm), allowing flexible wear and connection to Tulisan’s enduring philosophy: that art and design can awaken awareness, even in the smallest gestures of daily life.

FEATURES:

• The interior of the bag uses a highly durable water-repellent fabric.
  

DIMENSIONS:
39 x 2 x 36.5 cm
15.35 x 0.78 x 14.37 in

WEIGHT:
1 kg