An enigmatic Javanese manuscript in the British Library: Sĕrat Jaya Lĕngkara, Add 12310
One of the crucial problems in philology is deciding whether a manuscript is a new creation or an attempt to create a faithful copy of [Read more…]
Articles by Dick van Der Meij
Rajah in the Kajeng collection of Balinese manuscripts
In Bali, many palm leaf manuscripts (called lontar) contain texts on medicine, black and white magic and almanac divination, or combinations of any of the [Read more…]
Book Review: Richard Fox, More than Words. Transforming Script, Agency, and Collective Life in Bali.
Writing and letters in Bali are not just ways to transmit, preserve and disseminate ideas and simple or complex messages and literature. In Bali, writing [Read more…]
“Illustrated Manuscripts from Yogyakarta and the Attire the Figures on the Illustrations Wear”
Dr Dick van der Meij, DREAMSEA’s Academic Advisor and Liaison Officer was invited to deliver a lecture during the International Symposium on Royal Attire and [Read more…]
Gods, birds, and trees; Variation in illustrated Javanese pawukon manuscripts
Many libraries in the world preserve Javanese pawukonmanuscripts containing divinatory calendars based on the Javanese 30 seven-day wukucycle. Collections are found in the National Library of Indonesia [Read more…]
The Ricklefs collection at Leiden University Libraries. Some material features
Manuscripts are not only about content. The leather bindings, the kinds of paper, and the ink used may tell us stories without words – material [Read more…]
Javanese poetics and canto indicators: Jaya Lengkara Wulang (MSS Jav 24)
Today’s guest blog, highlighting one of the most important Javanese manuscripts from Yogyakartawhich has just been digitised, is by Dr Dick van der Meij from [Read more…]
Made for a Prince, Given to a Princess: An Illustrated Javanese Manuscript of the Dewa Ruci
In 1927, J.C.F. von Mühlen, the private secretary of Prince Hendrik, the husband of Queen Wilhelmina, donated a beautiful manuscript of the Dewa Ruci to [Read more…]