[RAS Raffles Java 28] Wayang Purwa

ca. 1777?
Javanese
26.5 x 20.5 cm

323 pages, European paper with ‘LVG’ watermark, 323 pages.

These wayang stories consists of three parts: pp.1-96 starts with Gatotkaca (A); pp.105-312 begins with Sri Darmawangsa (B); and pp. 312-323 begins with Kresna (C). Each part was completed at different times. Ricklefs, Voorhoeve & Gallop (2014: 81) suggest that it is dated either AJ 1691-3/AD 1765-67 or AH 1191-3/AD 1777-9. A mark of ownership written in Jawi on p.104 may support this dating. The mark says “Bahwa ini alamat surat Sri Paduka Pangeran Ratu ibni Sultan Muhammad Baha’uddin, tamat.” The mark suggests that the MS belonged to Pangeran Ratu (then became Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II) from either 1765 or 1779 and was then passed down to his son (Mahmud Badaruddin) until it came to Raffles (assumed 1812-1830?) and donated to RAS to be part of its collection.