Beyond the Java Sea: Art of Indonesia's Outer Islands. By PAUL ... With a few exceptions, most tomes on Indonesian art forms have ... of insular Southeast Asia.
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When Taylor writes of the monk Ajaan Man's anonymity, the photo (pp. 6 0 61) and report of his cremation show a wide range of dignitaries participating in this event. Taylor had already found that "Ajaan Man systematized this monastic forest life and engendered institutional credibility in the Thai-Lao frontier provinces" (p. 18), but then Man is again seen to be "unqualified" to teach dhamma to "monks and the laity without formal study or having passed the requisite Pali . . . and scriptional . . . examinations" (p. 138). Closer to the facts seems to be that "determination in his practice and interpretation of particular doctrines emerged largely from his own personal experiences" (pp. 141-42). Man's exemplary lifestyle certainly influenced areas far beyond the Thai-Lao frontier provinces. The Laotian influence on the northeastern provinces of Thailand, however, is blown out of proportion, as is the statement that "Embodying the very ideals of the universal Buddhist virtuoso . . . ensured his eventual integration into the prevailing social grid" (p. 313). The statement is disputable that "many [pupils], like the master . . . reputedly won arahanship" (p. 36). The popular belief in so many arahans in Thailand devalues this highest state of spiritual development, as do the commercially organized Jedii (chedi) tours to make merit at the relic shrines of venerated masters (for which, of course, Taylor is not to blame). That the author supplies brief summaries of his findings at the end of each chapter is helpful. He closes the book with the statement that "The problem for ascetic practitioners seems to be one of trying to out-distance the fervent laity wishing to connect with these [magic] powers through oblations and in so doing transform them to certain worldly advantage (see Chapter Six and Seven)" (p. 316). Transcribing words according to spoken Thai resulted in Julalongkorn (Chulalongkorn),_/#£n7 (Chakri), meuang (myang), and wipatsanaa (Vipassana), etc., although, in most cases, Taylor includes the Pali term in parenthesis. The twentynine page bibliography contains many little-known references; other important references, however, seem to be missing and a few citations contain incorrect data. However, readers may feel lost in the overload of information without having the chance to verify the content. Only those who have conducted fieldwork in Thailand will be able to put this book to the acid test and extract some new information. RUTH-INGE
HEINZE
University of California, Berkeley
Beyond the Java Sea: Art of Indonesia's Outer Islands. By P A U L M I C H A E L TAYLOR and L O R R A I N E V. A R A G O N . Washington, D.C.: The Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 1991. 320 pp. $65.00 (cloth); $22.95 (paper). Among the more captivating exhibits spawned by the 1990 Festival of Indonesia was "Beyond the Java Sea," which brought together over 200 art works created by the peoples of Indonesia's outer islands. This hefty and handsome book was designed to accompany this exhibition. However, Taylor and Aragon's volume goes well beyond the traditional glossy but superficial terrain of most exhibition catalogues. This is a rich and painstakingly researched book that fills a major lacuna in the literature on Indonesia. With a few exceptions, most tomes on Indonesian art forms have
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tended to highlight the aesthetic traditions of Java and Bali at the expense of those of the outer islands. Although over the past few years a small flurry of books has addressed specific aspects of outer island art forms, this is the first volume to treat this topic in a truly comprehensive manner. As such, it makes a splendid partner book to Claire Holt's now-classic Art in Indonesia: Continuities and Change (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1967). Taylor and Aragon's volume is lucidly written and thoughtfully conceived. The first section of the book, comprising four chapters, offers the neophyte an introduction to the Indonesian archipelago as well as a broad, comparative overview of themes in outer island art. Drawing on current theory in anthropology and art, these chapters not only consider the social and ritual functions of these art forms (e.g., their use in alliance formation, as identity and status markers, in honoring ancestors, and in discourse with the supernatural), but also contextualize earlier Eurocentric writings on these arts. Moreover, the final chapter in this section, "Outer-Island Art and Artists Today," offsets the static "ethnographic present" image of Indonesian artistic production by addressing the effects of collectors, tourists, urbanization, and conversion to world religions on these indigenous arts. The second, "catalogue" section of Taylor and Aragon's volume provides an excellent overview of the prehistory of outer island Indonesia, discusses the Islamic court arts of this region, and highlights the aesthetic forms of an array of outer island cultural groups. Specifically, chapters are devoted to the arts of Nias, Batak, Lampung, Dayak, Sulawesi, the Lesser Sundas, Southeast Moluccas, and the north coast of Irian Jaya (this chapter is written by Annamarie Rice). The omission of the relatively well-known Asmat arts was somewhat surprising, although this is a minor quibble, given that the authors had to select from hundreds of outer island groups. Physically, this is an exquisite book. The text is illustrated with over 400 reproductions, including approximately 150 color plates and dozens of mesmerizing archival and contemporary photographs depicting the objects in their ethnographic context. The authors also provide a number of helpful regional and local maps to orient the reader. In short, this volume represents an important contribution to the literature on the arts of Indonesia. Written in an accessible style, with parenthetical explanations of anthropological terms and an extensive bibliography (with 490 references), Beyond the Java Sea would make an excellent text for an introductory seminar on the arts of insular Southeast Asia. Moreover, Taylor and Aragon's volume will be a useful reference for museum researchers and Southeast Asianists interested in aesthetic forms. K A T H L E E N M.
ADAMS
Loyola University of Chicago
Two Worlds of Islam: Interaction between Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
By
R. VON DER M E H D E N . Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1993. xiii, 128 pp. $22.95 (cloth); $12.95 (paper).
FRED
The preface to this brief study describes it as "an analysis of changing patterns of interaction between the Muslim worlds of the Middle East and Southeast Asia . . . primarily focused on the post-World War II era" (p. xi). The underlying question
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