Ate and leather handbag, 'Java Vogue'

Product Review

NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers. Designer Nengah Danantara creates an original handbag that is rich in Javanese elegance. Danantara expertly hand-weaves the handbag from ate grass featuring crisscrossing windows. They reveal the bag's extraordinary batik lining. Danantara completes his original design with long leather handles. Artisan Info: "I was born on November 16, 1978, the second child in family. My mother is Nengah Suji, a senior ate maker in our village. My father was a cab driver; I often accompanied him driving around when I was a child. Time passed by, and I learned to print Balinese handwriting on a palm leaf, as well as carving images on this leaf; my grandfather taught me. When demand grew for ate products, many in my village started dedicating more time to this craft, and I saw it as a challenge to learn how to make these items too. "Weaving ate is not as hard as people may think, but it's not an easy work either. One needs a lot of patience to weave one tiny piece of ate into a basket or bag. "I would like to thank Novica for making my work part of the largest network of artists in the Internet. I hope my products find favor with Novica clients."