Professor Haas (1910-1996) taught Thai and linguistics in the Department of Linguistics from 1943 to 1977 at the University of California, Berkeley. She published extensively in Thai linguistics. Her Thai-English Student's Dictionary, first published in 1964, is still the definitive Thai-English dictionary.
Professor Scalapino, a prominent political scientist, was one of the committee members to establish the Southeast Asian studies program at Cal in 1954. He also played a major role in establishing the Center for Southeast Asia Studies on July 1, 1960. He taught political science at Cal from 1950's to 1980's. He is also a prolific author, publishing many books on Asian Studies.
Born in Rantau, a rural town in South Kalimantan in Indonesia, Mr. Ananda (1926-1993) was the first Southeast Asia Librarian at the University of California, Berkeley from 1968 to 1990. He was the chief architect of establishing the Southeast Asian collections at Cal and made numerous contributions to the Southeast Asia Microform Project (SEAM) of the Center for Research Libraries and to the Committee on Research Materials on Southeast Asia (CORMOSEA) of the Association for Asian Studies. After his retirement from Cal, he devoted his time to the California-Indonesia Educational Foundation (CALINDEF) which he founded to provide free publications for universities in Indonesia.
This concertina-form manuscript made from the folded bark of what is believed to be the alim tree is a type of book from the Batak peoples of Sumatra. Such books, known in Sumatra as "pustaka" were often written in an archaic Southern Batak dialect mixed with local dialect. These books are often used in matters of magic, divination and medicine as practiced by the Batak datu who functions as magician, soothsayer, and doctor.
This is a Palm-Leaf Manuscript in Laos Pali Text of the Tipitaka Suttapitaka Majjhimanikaya. Before paper was introduced, the most popular and most important material used in its place in almost all of Southeast Asia was the "Palm-leaf". This example of Laos Pali text has been decorated with outlines of flowers on a gold background.
Professor Barrows lived in the Philippines from March 1900 until 1906. During part of this time he served as Secretary of Education for the Philippines government. While in the Philippines he studied the country's history and did anthropological field work as can be seen in this field studies notebook. He taught Philippine History at Cal. Among his many fine books is the History of the Philippines. Barrows Hall was named after him when the building was opened on campus in 1963.
Professor Barrows' notebook from research and field studies in the Philippines. This page in particular with a sketch of indigenous Philippine architecture.
Southeast Asia includes ten countries: Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Southeast Asia has a combined population of nearly 500 million and an annual Gross Domestic Product of over 400 million.
The Center for Southeast Asia Studies was founded on July 1, 1960 to assist the academic community of the university in Southeast Asian Studies and foster discussion and intellectual exchange in the broad area of research.
Shadow Puppet from Kelantan, Malaysia. Seri Rama is the hero and principal character in the Hindu epic, Ramayana, which literally means "The Wanderings of Rama." This epic Indian tale has principal Hindu elements, as in the reincarnation of Vishnu in Rama. As this tale migrates to Southeast Asian countries, the epic underwent many transformations absorbing local coloring. In Malaysia, the Rama story did not become completely Islamicized; however, the reincarnation of Vishnu in Rama is de-emphasized. In Thailand as well as Laos to conform with Buddhism, Rama is considered as a future Buddha.
Shadow Puppet from Java, Indonesia. Arjuna, represented here, is the middle of five Pandawa brothers in the Wayang Purwa versions of Mahabharata. He is physically delicate and good-looking, tender-hearted and yet iron-willed. A refined hero, he is capable of the severest discipline and has a deep sense of family loyalty. Arjuna is thought by many in Javanese culture to be the epitome of the ideal man.