Author: K.G.P.A.A. Paku Alam X, 2017 (second edition), 100pgs., (Indonesian & English), softcover
Publisher: Perpustakaan Puro Pakualaman, Yogyakarta
Through the extensive collection of heirlooms preserved at Puro Pakualaman, one may discern its pivotal role in Indonesian history and its contributions to the evolution of civilization in both Indonesia and the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The distinctive status of Puro Pakualaman as one of the four autonomous polities within the Praja Dalam Mataram (Islamic Mataram Governance—alongside Kasunanan Surakarta, Kadipaten Mangkunegaran, and Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta—compelled its rulers to articulate an idealized model of leadership that could serve as the foundation for governance. This volume examines the Javanese conception of leadership as embodied by the deities entrusted with safeguarding the cosmos: Batara Indra, Batara Yama, Batara Surya, Batara Candra, Batara Bayu, Batara Wishnu, Batara Brama, and Batara Baruna. These divine figures symbolized the noble principles of rulership historically manifested by Javanese kings within the Praja Dalam Mataram. Central to this discourse is the doctrine of Astabrata, rooted in the Kakawin Ramayana, wherein Rama imparts to his brother Barata the essential virtues of leadership. The transmission of these values through archetypal divine characters proved effective, as audiences could internalize them prior to engaging with literary texts or experiencing their dramatization in wayang kulit performances. Consequently, the rulers of Pakualaman undertook the initiative to compose literary works on leadership, thereby codifying and perpetuating these ideals.
Author: contributions by Masakatsu Tozu, Sae Ogasawara, Panembahan Hardjonagoro, Museum Ulen Sentalu, Yogyakarta, Nian S. Djoemena & Afif Syakur, 2007. 229pgs. (Japanese & Indonesian). Softcover
Publisher: Asahi Shimbun, Japan
This commemorative volume was published to mark the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Indonesia. The accompanying exhibition, hosted at the Embassy of Indonesia in Tokyo, featured an exceptional collection of batiks curated from the holdings of Professor Masakatsu Tozu of Kokushikan University, Japan. The publication is enriched by messages of endorsement and reflection from distinguished figures, including His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Jusuf Anwar; Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, the reigning Sultan of Yogyakarta Hadiningrat; Yultin Ginanjar Kartasasmita of the Batik Foundation; and Dyah Damayanti of the Jakarta Textile Museum. Scholarly contributions within the volume were authored by recognized authorities in the field of batik studies, each offering insights grounded in their expertise. Collectively, these writings underscore the cultural significance of batik as both an artistic tradition and a medium of intercultural dialogue, situating the textile not merely as a craft but as a profound symbol of heritage and diplomacy.
Author: Hebal Nayel Barakat Adline Abdul Gani, Ros Mahwati Ahmad Zakaria, 2012. 110pgs, (English), Hardcover
Publisher: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
This volume is a nice coffee-table book to honor the life of Ann Dunham, the mother of the 55th President of the United States, Barack Obama . She lived in Indonesia from 1967 for more than 14 years with her second husband, Lolo Soetoro The book presents her batiks that she collected when doing fieldwork on Java while studying the village industries of Java. The exhibition was held in 2012 at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur.
Author: Sativa Sutan Anwar, 1999, 115pg. (Indonesian & English). Softcover
Publisher: Djambatan, Jakarta
The author has elected to examine a distinctive cultural practice originating from an ethnic community markedly different from the broader Indonesian heritage: the Minangkabau tradition of hand embroidery. One of the defining features that renders Minangkabau embroidery particularly remarkable is the diversity of its needlework patterns. This artistic form represents a synthesis of multiple cultural influences, shaped historically by the influx of merchants who frequented the region’s ports. The embroidery techniques were significantly influenced by Chinese traditions, a connection evident in the tools employed, the stylistic approaches to embroidery, and the chromatic choices. Such influences are most clearly manifested in techniques such as suji cair (satin stitch), suji kepala peniti (French knot), and suji batakaik (raised embroidery). These forms of embroidery have been practiced since the early eighteenth century, reflecting cultural exchanges that trace back to the period spanning the Shang through the Han dynasties.
Author: Jemma Purdey, 2006. 300pgs. (English). Softcover
Publisher: Asian Studies Association of Australia & National University of Singapore (NUS) Press, Singapore.
Jemma Purdey’s Anti-Chinese Violence in Indonesia, first published in 2006 by Brill, constitutes the inaugural book-length study devoted to analyzing the wave of ethnic violence directed against Chinese Indonesians during the collapse of President Suharto’s New Order regime. This monograph remains a seminal contribution to Southeast Asian studies, offering a rigorous framework for understanding the turbulent political and social transition of Indonesia in the late 1990s. Purdey challenges reductive interpretations that portray the violence merely as spontaneous “race riots.” While acknowledging that entrenched ethnic prejudice and anti-Chinese sentiment were central catalysts, she insists that a comprehensive analysis must consider a matrix of interacting forces. The study demonstrates how state security actors and political elites either orchestrated or permitted violence to secure political advantage during the regime’s disintegration. Despite comprising only 2–3% of Indonesia’s population, ethnic Chinese Indonesians occupied a disproportionately prominent role in the private business sector. Their economic visibility rendered their properties prime targets for looting and arson by disenfranchised groups amid the destabilizing effects of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. Purdey further underscores how attacks on Chinese-owned businesses frequently overlapped with assaults on Christian places of worship, revealing the complex intersections of religious and ethnic identities in local contexts. The book is structured as a chronological analysis of pivotal episodes between 1996 and 1999: Prelude (1996–1997) — Examines early indicators of instability, including the anti-Christian and anti-Chinese riots in Situbondo. Climax (May 1998) — Provides a harrowing account of the infamous May 1998 riots in Jakarta and other major cities, detailing systematic arson of Chinese-owned properties, widespread looting, and the horrifying targeted sexual assaults against Chinese Indonesian women and girls. National Reflection and Aftermath — Evaluates how the incoming Habibie administration and local non-governmental organizations broke the silence surrounding these human rights violations, inaugurating an unprecedented era of national self-reflection. Scholarly reception has consistently praised Purdey’s work for its meticulous archival research, balanced perspective, and refusal to rely on facile generalizations. By deconstructing homogeneous views of ethnic minorities, the book illuminates the layered dynamics of political violence, economic resentment, and identity politics. Ultimately, Anti-Chinese Violence in Indonesia endures as a crucial resource for students, historians, and researchers examining Southeast Asian political violence, human rights, and ethnic minority relations. Its analytical depth and historical precision ensure its continued relevance in debates on communal conflict, state complicity, and the fragile architecture of Indonesia’s democratic transition.
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