87 research outputs found
Andrea Acri, Roger Blench, Alexandra Landmann (eds), Spirits and Ships ; Cultural Transfers in Early Monsoon Asia
The volume under review consists of eleven essays, seven of which are papers that were presented at the conference entitled âCultural Transfer in Early Monsoon Asia : Austronesian-Indic Encounters.â All the essays, and a useful introduction (âIntroduction : Re-connecting Histories across the Indo-Pacific,â pp. 1-37), are linked by their interest in the (early) history of maritime Southeast Asia, and the values, concepts, and practices shared by the people of this expansive region. As usual wi..
The Sea and Seacoast in Old Javanese Court Poetry: Fishermen, Ports, Ships, and Shipwrecks in the Literary Imagination
This article analyses some of the less well-known passages in Old Javanese kakawin court poems, in which the sea and seacoast are represented. Unlike classical Malay literature, Old Javanese texts show little interest in the socio-cultural environment of the seacoast, and even less information is provided about the maritime environment of the open seas that enclose the island of Java. Yet, the seascape as a natural environment of substantial aesthetic beauty is often marked by Javanese poets, and represented as one of the targets of the so-called royal âpleasure trips,â and locus where kawi poets can immerse in a sort of aesthetic rapture, called laáč
ö in Old Javanese. In four sections, I discuss the literary motifs that develop the theme of the sea and seacoast: the activity of fishermen, a unique description of a harbour, and often metaphorical depictions of ships and shipwrecks.Cet article analyse certains des passages les moins connus des poĂšmes de cour kakawin du vieux Javanais, dans lesquels la mer et le littoral sont reprĂ©sentĂ©s. Contrairement Ă la littĂ©rature malaise classique, les textes en vieux-javanais sâintĂ©ressent peu Ă lâenvironnement socioculturel du littoral et fournissent encore moins dâinformations sur lâenvironnement maritime de la haute mer qui entoure lâĂźle de Java. Pourtant, le paysage marin, en tant quâenvironnement naturel dâune grande beautĂ© esthĂ©tique, est souvent Ă©voquĂ© par les poĂštes javanais, reprĂ©sentĂ© comme lâun des buts des âvoyages dâagrĂ©mentâ royaux, et comme un lieu oĂč les poĂštes kawi peuvent se plonger dans une sorte de ravissement esthĂ©tique, appelĂ© laáč
ö en vieux javanais. En quatre sections, jâaborde les motifs littĂ©raires qui traitent du thĂšme de la mer et du littoral : lâactivitĂ© des pĂȘcheurs, une description unique de port, et des reprĂ©sentations souvent mĂ©taphoriques de navires et de naufrages
The figure of "pañji" in Old Javanese sources; What is in a name?
Literary and epigraphic references to the figure of pañji in Old Javanese texts are analysed, and contextualised with much better known references to the figure of Pañji in Middle Javanese texts. A hypothesis is offered that Old Javanese term pañji is best rendered as âcourt-nameâ. It is argued that young boys from elite families obtained their familiar court-name (pañji) at the very onset of their career at the court, where they served as pages and attendants of the royal family. They were also trained in arms, religious lore, and arts. Being since their childhood close to the king, they were trusted persons, and some of them made careers as high-ranking court officials, such as DÉmung or Kanuruhan. Others, denoted ÄcÄrya, were trained as âmasters of divine weaponsâ, Tantric ritual specialists, who were in charge of the so-called âdivine weaponryâ (diwyÄstra), mantra-infused ordinary weapons, an arsenal well-known in Old and Middle Javanese texts. Vestiges of this ritual lore have survived in Java until modern times. </p
The Loincloth, Trousers, and Horse-riders in Pre-Islamic Java: Notes on the Old Javanese Term Lañciáč an
The Old Javanese term lañcingan is analysed in detail. Considered by previous scholars to designate âtrousers,â it is demonstrated that Old Javanese literary and epigraphical record does not preclude the possibility that in pre-Islamic Java lañcingan denoted an elaborate variety of loincloth, especially the loincloth used in the context of warfare. It is shown that only in the 14th century CE Javanese texts make a distinction between the loincloth (cavÄt) and trousers (lañcingan). Yet another term, gadag, denoting exclusively âtrousers,â is attested in textual record first in the 14-15th centuries CE. In the second part of the article a hypothesis that the bifurcated lower garment has first been introduced in Java through cultural influences of Islam is questioned. An alternative hypothesis is offered that trousers, related to mounted warfare and increased mobility, were adopted earlier than claimed by previous scholars, already sometime between the 12th-14th centuries CE, as an element of Javanese (battle) dress. The introduction of trousers is seen as part of a complex process of the elaboration of horse-riding techniques and specialized equipment, such as improved saddles.Le mot vieux javanais lañcingan est analysĂ© en dĂ©tail. ConsidĂ©rĂ© jusque lĂ comme dĂ©signant le « pantalon », il est dĂ©montrĂ© que les sources littĂ©raires et Ă©pigraphiques en vieux javanais nâexcluent pas la possibilitĂ© que dans la Java prĂ©-islamique, lañcingan faisait rĂ©fĂ©rence Ă une forme Ă©laborĂ©e du pagne, en particulier le pagne utilisĂ© dans un contexte guerrier. Il est montrĂ© que câest seulement au XIVe siĂšcle que les textes javanais distinguent le pagne (cavÄt) du pantalon (lañcingan). En fait, un autre mot, gadag, renvoyant exclusivement à « pantalon », est attestĂ© dans les sources Ă©crites des XIVe-XVe siĂšcles. Dans la seconde partie de lâarticle, lâhypothĂšse selon laquelle le vĂȘtement scindĂ© aux cuisses ait Ă©tĂ© introduit Ă Java en relation avec des influences culturelles de lâIslam est mise en question. Une autre hypothĂšse est offerte, selon laquelle le pantalon, liĂ© Ă la guerre Ă cheval et Ă une mobilitĂ© croissante, ait Ă©tĂ© adoptĂ© plus tĂŽt quâaffirmĂ© prĂ©cĂ©demment, dĂ©jĂ entre les XIIe et XIVe siĂšcles, comme Ă©lĂ©ment du costume (guerrier) javanais. Lâintroduction du pantalon est vue comme lâun des aspects du processus complexe dâĂ©laboration des techniques de monte du cheval, telles que les selles amĂ©liorĂ©es
Liquor in Glass Vessels: A Note on Glassware in pre-Islamic Java and on its Socio-Religious Symbolism
Textual evidence on glassware in Old Javanese kakavin poetry is discussed. Export of Middle Eastern and Chinese glass vessels to ancient Southeast Asia is documented in the archaeological and historical record, though â compared to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra â reported finds of glass vessels and their fragments in Java are very limited. Old Javanese kakavins suggest that imported glass vessels, denoted by the term gÓážah, were associated in court circles with the socio-religious framework of Siddha alchemy, and viewed as ritually powerful containers, used to store and serve alcoholic beverages, in particular those with high alcohol content, such as the drinks based on fermented, and probably aged, sugarcane juice. The glass cup metonymically represented the liquid which it contained, and it shares a metaphoric association with sanctified copulation perceived as a ritual act that belongs to Siddha Tantrism. The ultimate origin of the Old Javanese gÓážah is most probably the Arabic term qadah, one of the very early Arabic loanwords in Javanese.Cet article traite des preuves textuelles concernant la vaisselle de verre dans la poĂ©sie kakavin en vieux javanais. Lâexportation de vaisselle de verre moyen-orientale et chinoise vers lâAsie du Sud-Est est documentĂ©e par lâarchĂ©ologie et les sources historiques, cependant â en comparaison de la pĂ©ninsule malaise et de Sumatra â les trouvailles de vaisselle de verre et de ses fragments sont trĂšs peu nombreuses Ă Java. Les kakavin vieux-javanais semblent indiquer que la vaisselle de verre importĂ©e, exprimĂ©e par le terme gÓážah, Ă©tait associĂ©e dans les milieux palatins avec le cadre socio-religieux de lâalchimie Siddha, et considĂ©rĂ©e comme des contenants puissants rituellement, utilisĂ©s pour conserver et servir des boissons alcoolisĂ©es, en particulier celles Ă fort degrĂ© dâalcool, telles les boissons Ă base de jus de canne Ă sucre fermentĂ© et probablement vieilli. MĂ©tonymiquement, la coupe en verre reprĂ©sente le liquide quâelle contient, et partage lâassociation mĂ©taphorique de la copulation sanctifiĂ©e perçue comme acte rituel dans le cadre du tantrisme Siddha. Lâorigine ultime du mot gÓážah en vieux-javanais est trĂšs probablement le mot arabe qadah, lâun des plus anciens emprunts du javanais Ă la langue arabe
The sling and the blowgun as combat weapons in pre-Islamic Java; Notes on Old Javanese terms gaáčáži and tulup
Two Old Javanese terms, gaĆáži and tulup, are discussed in detail. While the term tulup appears to be unproblematic, gaĆáži has previously been identified with a score of weapons, including bow, club, war hammer, and sling. I argue that the original meaning of this enigmatic term is âprojectile, pelletâ, while its second, derived meaning refers in most cases to âslingâ, and, occasionally, to âblowgunâ. Both weapons are represented in the Old Javanese textual record as the weapons associated with predatory warfare, and with the forces of adharma. I have tentatively suggested that this configuration reflects the pre-modern reality of slingers and the men equipped with blowguns perceived as essentially foreign, non-Javanese elements, and hence possibly identified by pre-modern audiences with mercenaries sourced from Sumatra or other parts of Indonesia where the sling and blowgun were used regularly in warfare. </div
Capture and sorting of multiple cells by polarization-controlled three-beam interference
For the capture and sorting of multiple cells, a sensitive and highly efficient polarization-controlled three-beam interference set-up has been developed. With the theory of superposition of three beams, simulations on the influence of polarization angle upon the intensity distribution and the laser gradient force change with different polarization angles have been carried out. By controlling the polarization angle of the beams, various intensity distributions and different sizes of dots are obtained. We have experimentally observed multiple optical tweezers and the sorting of cells with different polarization angles, which are in accordance with the theoretical analysis. The experimental results have shown that the polarization angle affects the shapes and feature sizes of the interference patterns and the trapping force
Observations of a PT-like phase transition and limit cycle oscillations in non-reciprocally coupled optomechanical oscillators levitated in vacuum
We explore the collective non-Hermitian dynamics of a pair of
non-conservatively coupled optomechanical oscillators. The oscillators consist
of silica nanoparticles optically levitated in vacuum in two parallel pairs of
interfering counter-propagating laser beams. By adjusting the relative phase,
polarization, and separation of the trapping laser beams, we set the optical
interaction between the particles to be purely non-reciprocal. Continuously
varying the relative power of the trapping beams over a predefined range takes
the system through transition, analogous to a parity-time (PT) phase
transition. Decreasing the dissipation rate within the non-equilibrium phase
induces a Hopf bifurcation resulting in the formation of collective limit cycle
oscillations similar to those observed in phonon lasers. Such systems provide a
novel platform for exceptional point optomechanical sensing and due to their
wide flexibility and tunability of the interactions can be extended to
multi-particle systems, paving the way for the development of topological
optomechanical media
Synchronization of spin-driven limit cycle oscillators optically levitated in vacuum
We explore, experimentally and theoretically, the emergence of coherent
coupled oscillations and synchronization between a pair of non-Hermitian,
stochastic, opto-mechanical oscillators, levitated in vacuum. Each oscillator
consists of a polystyrene microsphere trapped in a circularly polarized,
counter-propagating Gaussian laser beam. Non-conservative, azimuthal forces,
deriving from inhomogeneous optical spin, push the micro-particles out of
thermodynamic equilibrium. For modest optical powers each particle shows a
tendency towards orbital circulation. Initially, their stochastic motion is
weakly correlated. As the power is increased, the tendency towards orbital
circulation strengthens and the motion of the particles becomes highly
correlated. Eventually, centripetal forces overcome optical gradient forces and
the oscillators undergo a collective Hopf bifurcation. For laser powers
exceeding this threshold, a pair of limit cycles appear, which synchronize due
to weak optical and hydrodynamic interactions. In principle, arrays of such
Non-Hermitian elements can be arranged, paving the way for opto-mechanical
topological materials or, possibly, classical time crystals. In addition, the
preparation of synchronized states in levitated optomechanics could lead to new
and robust sensors or alternative routes to the entanglement of macroscopic
objects
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