Fresh facts about writing traditions revealed

JAKARTA (JP): Common knowledge holds that Indonesian writing traditions started with an elite few and was confined to a limited number of traditional societies.

"The fact is, the written tradition was more widespread than thought and also existed among the common people," Dr. Ann Kumar, co-editor of Illuminations: The Writing Traditions of Indonesia, said Wednesday at a press luncheon held in conjunction with the launching of the book on June 12.

In the introduction of the 352-page book, Kumar writes that "hard evidence has now come to light with recent discoveries on the north coast of Bali. Here, in addition to pottery shards carrying evidence of the Brahmi script common in southern India A.D. 100-400, pieces of rouletted pottery nearly identical to samples from southeast India and datable to the period 150 B.C. to A.D. 200 have been unearthed."

That means that the earliest written tradition in Indonesia may date back to the time before Christ, said John H. McGlynn, co-editor of the book who was actually the brain behind the project.

"Moslem scholars played a significant role in spreading the written tradition," said McGlynn, who is also a Lontar co- founder.

The new facts and scores are included in Illuminations, a detailed history of writing in general and the art of script writing in Indonesia. In addition to essays by internationally recognized scholars on the written traditions of Indonesia, the book contains more than 300 reproductions of outstanding examples of illuminated manuscripts, the vast majority of them from Indonesian collections.

The book, which took four years to produce, is jointly published by Lontar and Weatherhill Inc. of New York.

Originally, it was scheduled for publication last year as a gift for Indonesia's 50th anniversary, said McGlynn, adding that financial and technical problems contributed to the delay.

One of the problems was getting permission to collect data from Portugal, where the oldest Javanese script was kept.

"It took a year to obtain the permission and they wanted to charge US$600 per picture," said McGlynn.

The $250,000-project received financial support from Rajawali Corporation. Other sponsors included Ford Foundation and Garuda Indonesia.

Illuminations was published in cooperation with Weather Hill, Inc., New York and was printed in Hong Kong.

"It was our wish to use local materials, but as we wanted a high quality book we had it printed in Hong Kong," explained McGlynn.

Fikri Djufri, an honorary trustee of the Lontar Foundation, said the book was a Lontar masterpiece.

"I'm proud to assist Lontar in this project," said Fikri of PT Graffiti Pers.

Adila Suwarmo, executive officer of the foundation, said the book is part of a series of activities involving University of Indonesia's School of Letters, the National Library and the Lontar Foundation. The activities aimed at drawing attention to the study and condition of Indonesian manuscripts today.

"The university's School of Letters handled the international symposium on Indonesian writing traditions on June 5 and 6; the National Library to host an exhibition of Indonesian manuscripts and Lontar Foundation commissioned the book," said Adila.

The exhibition, which will be open to the public, will be held in the auditorium of the National Library on Jl. Salemba, Central Jakarta, from June 12 to June 24. President Soeharto is scheduled to open the exhibition and at the same time launch Illuminations.

She added that the Indonesian edition of the book, Candi Bahasa: Tradisi Menulis di Indonesia, will be published later in the year.

Lontar, established in 1987, is a non-profit organization whose primary aim is to foster greater appreciation of Indonesian culture.

Lontar has translated the works of noted Indonesian writers and has been active in film, theater, dance and art as well as preserving old manuscripts. (lem)