Pera Museum Shop | Dirhem Pastel Colors

Dirhem Pastel is a bespoke crayon collection developed exclusively for the Pera Museum Shop. The project reinterprets the dirhem—a historical Ottoman unit of weight—translating its distinctive circular geometry into a tactile instrument for drawing and play.

Originally associated with systems of measurement and precision, the dirhem is reimagined here as a tool for open-ended creativity. The rounded form encourages rotation, grasp, and experimentation, allowing children to engage with scale and proportion through movement and touch.

The collection includes a custom-designed case that operates as both container and interactive surface. By inviting sorting, placement, and rearrangement, storage becomes part of the creative act itself. Through this translation of historical form into contemporary object, Dirhem Pastel presents cultural heritage as an active, experiential framework—where memory, learning, and imagination intersect.