Indonesian Manuscripts from the Islands of Java, Madura, Bali and Lombok: (24 Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 3 Southeast Asia)

Indonesian Manuscripts from the Islands of Java, Madura, Bali and Lombok discusses aspects of the long and impressive manuscript traditions of these islands, which share many aspects of manuscript production. Many hitherto unaddressed features of palm-leaf manuscripts are discussed here for the first time as well as elements of poetic texts, indications of mistakes, colophons and the calendrical information used in these manuscripts. All features discussed are explained with photographs. The introductory chapters offer insights into these traditions in a wider setting and the way researchers have studied them. This original and pioneering work also points out what topics needs further exploration to understand these manuscript traditions that use a variety of materials, languages, and scripts to a wider public.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements List of Illustrations List of Tables Notes to the Readerl Abbreviationsliv General Introduction  The Present Book  Languages  Script  Manuscripts in Arabic  Multiple Languages and Scripts in Manuscripts  The Chapters in the Book  Topics not Discussed in the Book 1 Manuscripts  Manuscripts as Physical Objects  Complete and Incomplete Manuscripts  Intact, Damaged and Repaired Manuscripts  Old and New Manuscripts  Illustrated and Illuminated Manuscripts  Naturalistic Figure Depiction  The Natural World in Javanese Illustrations  Illuminations  Wĕdana  Commissioned Manuscripts  Personal Manuscripts  Large and Small Manuscripts  ‘Authentic’ Manuscripts  ‘Fake’ Manuscripts  Manuscript Quality, Beautiful and Ugly Manuscripts  Numbers of Manuscripts, Popularity of Texts  Collective Volumes  Fragments of Other Texts in Manuscripts  Titles  Multiple Titles 2 Access to Manuscripts  Public Collections of Indonesian Manuscripts  Semi-Public Collections  Private Collections  Lost Manuscripts  Microfilms and Digital Manuscripts  Blogs, Portals, Social Media and Digital Search Machines  Catalogs 3 Lontar and Gěbang (Nipah) Manuscripts  Lontar Manuscripts  Protective Covers  The Writing Process  Numbering in Lontar Manuscripts  Text in Lontar  Maarti Texts  Gĕbang (Nipah) Manuscripts 4 Verse, Verse Meters and Their Indications  Verse Structures  Page Lay-Out of Texts in Tĕmbang Macapat  Sasmitaning Tĕmbang  Kidung  Kakawin  Javanese Syi’ir 5 Mistakes and Corrections in Manuscripts  Writers’ Own Indications of Mistakes  Levels of Mistakes  Indications of Mistakes and Corrections  Mistakes Indicated and Corrected During Writing or Afterwards  Corrections and Additional Notes and Editions of Texts 6 Dating and Calendars  The Javanese Calendar 7 Colophons  Manuscripts Copied with the Original Colophon  Colophons in Javanese Texts from Java  Colophons in Old and Middle Javanese Texts  Colophons Added to Colophons  Personal and General Information in Balinese Colophons  Changes in Colophons Over Time  Colophons in Balinese Manuscripts in Balinese  Colophons in Sasak and Javanese Manuscripts from Lombok  Colophon as Part of the Text or Not?  Excuses for Mistakes and Poor Workmanship 8 Other Information on Dating and Ownership  Manuscript Gifts to Scholars  Ownership Information on Separate Pages Preceding or after the Text  Personal Information on the Fore-Edge of the Book Block  Library and Ownership Stamps  Labels  Other Indications of Ownership  Signatures  Hidden Names of Authors and the Places where They Live  Name Hidden in Illuminations  Pre-Printed Paper Appendix 1 Candra Sangkala in Manuscripts Appendix 2 Alternative Names for Macapat Meters Appendix 3 Pada Marks in Javanese, Sundanese and Madurese Manuscripts Appendix 4 Sasmita Salinining Tĕmbang from Java, Lombok, Bali and Sunda Appendix 5 Sasmita Wiwitaning Tĕmbang in Javanese Texts from Java Appendix 6 Verse Schemes of the Most Encountered Verse Meters in Bali According to I Gusti Putu Jlantik Appendix 7 Kakawin Verse MetersAppendix 8 Table to Calibrate the Javanese and Arabic Years to the Gregorian Calendar According to Djidwal 1932 Glossary Manuscripts Quoted Bibliography Index

About the Author :
Dick van der Meij (Ph.D. Leiden 2002) has published editions and translations of Balinese, Malay, and Javanese texts and articles on Indonesian literature and manuscripts. His latest work is an edition and translation (with N. Lambooij) of the Malay Hikayat Mi’raj Nabi Muḥammad (Brill, 2014).

Review :
“This is a masterpiece of codicology, the like of which I have never encountered before. It is a comprehensive work of reference by a master of the subject with unparalleled expertise, presenting and preserving a vast knowledge.” – Prof. M.C. Ricklefs, Professor Emeritus, The Australian National University “This is a very interesting and original book on Indonesian manuscripts, by someone with a very wide and deep knowledge of the subject, clearly accumulated over a long period of time." – Annabel Teh Gallop, Lead Curator for Southeast Asia, British Library, London "With its publication, this book became an indispensable tool for all those with an interest in the manuscript traditions of Indonesia, including those not falling within its specific geographical and cultural bailiwick. The somewhat conglomerative make-up of the book in no way detracts from its value (...) Here we have an assortment of assay tools gathered in this one hefty volume, a one-stop compilation of reference and research tools of the sort that until now have only existed in the form of field notes and personal research databases assembled individually (and rarely circulated) by scholars working in the field. Dr. van der Meij has provided in an instant a point of reference that all English-speaking investigators can use and cite as the field of Indonesian codicology, nearly unknown three decades ago, continues its rise to prominence amongst domestic and international scholars." – Timothy E. Behrend, in BEFEO 104 (2018). "Van der Meij bravely tackles a great many issues belonging to an immense field of study, more often than not breaking completely new ground. The fact cannot be lauded enough that in doing so, Van der Meij concretely discusses all kinds of aspects pertaining to the manuscripts of 'the Javanese-inspired world' with the help of photographs. This is a tremendous premium, because hitherto studies of Indonesian philology rarely contain images of the manuscripts under discussion." – E.P. Wieringa, University of Colone, in Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde 174 (2018).