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Old names for new things: two items of Malay royal regalia as invented tradition

Hijjas, Mulaika

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Abstract

This article examines two objects of Malay royal regalia: the Perak betel-box known as the puan naga taru and the Riau emblem known as the cogan. Drawing on Hobsbawm and Ranger’s articulation of ‘invented tradition’, and on Amoroso’s of ‘traditionalism’ with reference to Malay kingship, detailed comparison of the textual and material records is adduced to argue that the physical objects themselves are likely to be much younger than the traditions underlying them. Colonial officials who documented regalia objects and collected information about them were also implicated in the traditionalising process. Nineteenth-century beliefs and practices about the potency of royal regalia are contrasted with those current in the present day, where the regalia objects are more desacralised than ever before.

Citation

Hijjas, M. (2024). Old names for new things: two items of Malay royal regalia as invented tradition. Indonesia and the Malay World, 52(152), 51-75. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2024.2307733

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 15, 2023
Publication Date Feb 13, 2024
Deposit Date Feb 20, 2024
Publicly Available Date Feb 20, 2024
Journal Indonesia and the Malay World
Print ISSN 1363-9811
Electronic ISSN 1469-8382
Publisher Taylor and Francis Group
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 52
Issue 152
Pages 51-75
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/13639811.2024.2307733
Keywords Malay sultanates, material culture, regalia, tradition
Publisher URL https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13639811.2024.2307733

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