Author: Ridwan Saidi, 1994. 257pgs. (Indonesian) Softcover.
Publisher: Lembaga Studi Informasi Pembangunan (LSIP), Jakarta
This volume constitutes a seminal cultural and socio-historical study authored by the late Ridwan Saidi, a distinguished Betawi intellectual, cultural authority, and historian. It stands as a vital contribution to Indonesian literature, interrogating the ways in which Jakarta’s indigenous ethnic community—the Betawi—has negotiated the profound urban transformations of the nation’s capital. The work traces the historical evolution of the Betawi people, an ethnogenesis shaped by the convergence of Javanese, Sundanese, Malay, Chinese, Arab, and European lineages within colonial Batavia (present-day Jakarta). Saidi confronts a central paradox: how a community deeply anchored in religious and traditional identity has endured—and at times suffered marginalization—amid the city’s metamorphosis into a globalized economic hub. Rejecting reductive portrayals of Betawi culture as static or simplistic, Saidi underscores its inherently modern character, forged through centuries of multicultural interaction. He demonstrates how diverse cultural elements were assimilated into quintessential Betawi expressions, such as Gambang Kromong (inflected by Chinese musical traditions), Tanjidor (a brass ensemble shaped by European colonial influence), and the Malay-based Betawi dialect. A pivotal dimension of the book is its socio-economic critique of Jakarta’s postcolonial development. As skyscrapers rose and urban expansion accelerated, Betawi communities were displaced from central districts such as Senayan and Central Jakarta to peripheral zones including Jagakarsa, Depok, and Bekasi. Saidi incisively examines the psychological and cultural repercussions of dispossession, portraying how the original custodians of Jakarta were relegated to the margins of their ancestral homeland. For Saidi, the enduring anchor that safeguarded Betawi identity against erasure was Islam. Religious institutions such as pesantren (Islamic boarding schools), quotidian rituals, and resilient kinship structures functioned as cultural bulwarks, countering the atomizing tendencies of Westernized modernization. The book’s strength lies in its authenticity: a cultural insider’s perspective articulated by an elite Betawi intellectual who personally witnessed the city’s transformations. Saidi preserves invaluable oral histories, neighborhood origin stories (asal-usul), and subdialects absent from colonial archives. Notably, he anticipated contemporary identity crises and the eventual institutionalization of cultural villages—such as Setu Babakan—long before their formal establishment. Nevertheless, the volume is not without limitations. Saidi’s impassioned defense of his community occasionally veers toward romanticization, privileging nostalgic traditions over structural critique. Furthermore, the absence of an English translation restricts accessibility for international readership. At times, the narrative oscillates between anecdotal genealogies and rigorous political commentary, producing unevenness in narrative flow. Decades after its publication, Saidi’s insights remain strikingly accurate. The dialectic between heritage preservation and globalization persists, yet the Betawi identity continues to adapt. Contemporary manifestations—ranging from public cultural festivals such as Lebaran Betawi to youth-driven initiatives like “Betawi Distros,” which deploy traditional symbols as cultural resistance merchandise—attest to the community’s enduring capacity to modernize without relinquishing its roots.
Author: Adrian B. Lapian, 2009. 282pgs. (Indonesian). Softcover
Publisher: Komunitas Bambu, Depok, Jakarta.
This volume constitutes a groundbreaking contribution to maritime historiography, authored by the eminent Indonesian historian Adrian B. Lapian. It reconfigures the contours of Southeast Asian history by interrogating nineteenth-century maritime life, destabilizing colonial narratives of piracy, and systematically categorizing sea-based societies into three distinct groups: nomadic fisher communities, autonomous raiders, and royal naval powers. Originating from an academic dissertation centered on the Sulawesi Sea and its surrounding waters, the text delineates maritime actors as Orang Laut (sea nomads and fishermen), Bajak Laut (independent raiders or pirates), and Raja Laut (sovereigns commanding naval fleets). Lapian demonstrates how European colonial authorities strategically labeled indigenous traders and resistance fighters as “pirates” in order to legitimize monopolistic control over maritime commerce. His analysis advances a fresh “ocean-centric” perspective, privileging the sea as a primary locus of historical agency rather than subordinating it to land-based narratives. Drawing upon rich local sources, oral traditions, and overlooked archival materials, the book focuses intensively on specific maritime zones—particularly the Sulawesi and Sulu seas—while deliberately leaving other regions of the archipelago outside its scope. This classic work is indispensable for scholars and readers invested in the maritime history of the Nusantara. It profoundly reshapes our understanding of marginalized seafaring communities, repositioning them from the simplistic caricatures of colonial reports as villains to historically active agents who shaped their own destinies.
Author: Tang Chung (editor), 2012. 100pg. (Chinese, some texts are in English)
Publisher: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hongkong
The catalog was created for an exhibition titled "Origins of Clothes – Barkcloth," showcasing bark cloth and stone beaters discovered in Zhuhai province, South China. Additionally, the catalog features various stone beaters and bark cloth from Southeast Asia.
Author: Ruth Barnes, 2004. 288pg. (German language). Hardcover
Publisher: Museum der Weltkulturen, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
From November 1928 until May 1929, the ethnologist Ernst Vatter and his wife Hanna Vatter were sent on a mission to the islands of Flores and Alor in Eastern Indonesia, by the Museum of World Cultures in Frankfurt, Germany. The task was to collect and research objects of ethnological interest. Vatter brought back more than 1300 objects to Frankfurt, of which 1200 pieces still exist in the Museum, today. Seventy years later Ruth Barnes followed in the footsteps of the Vatters, as she herself accompanied by her husband made her field research on the island of Lembata from 1969 until 1971. In the mid nineteen eighties, Ruth concerned with the field work of the Vatters, and Hanna Vatter still alive, delved into their unfinished work, which resulted in this large volume. For researchers of East Indonesian studies, it would be a great help, if the book was translated to English, which would made it more meaningful for all people interested in Flores and Alor of the early nineteen hundreds.
Author: Norma A. Respicio, 2003, 64pg. (English). Softcover
Publisher: Consulate General of the Philippines, Melbourne, Australia
This elegant catalog was produced to commemorate the Philippine Textile Exhibition held at the Gold Treasury Museum as part of the 2003 Philippines Festivals in Melbourne, from 6 June to 3 August 2003. The publication presents a curated selection of textiles representing diverse ethnolinguistic traditions, including those of the Cordillera (specifically Bontok and Ifugao), Iloko, and Itneg communities; the weaving practices of West Visayas and Western Mindanao; the distinctive fabrics of South-Central Mindanao drawn from the collection of Juan T. Lim; as well as the rich textile heritage of Central, Southern, and Eastern Mindanao. Collectively, these regional contributions embody the Philippines as a “Pattern of Islands,” a metaphor that underscores the archipelago’s cultural plurality and the intricate interweaving of its artistic traditions.
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