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ink was not unknown. It was used, among other things, for writing on thinner leaves than lontar palmleaves. Professor Zoetmulder, in his “Old Java nese Literature” (in preparation), draws at tention to the writing implements (called tanah and koras'), used by poets for making notes, and as such occasionally mentioned in Old Javanese kakawins. Probably karas and lepihan, also mentioned in the same context, were names of large dry leaves. The material was not durable. No doubt books made of lontar leaves were the most widely spread. In Bali writing on palmleaves has con tinued up to modern times. Given a plentiful supply of the palms, the material is cheap and easily to prepare for use. The making of fine palmleaf manuscripts was an art appreciated and remunerated by priests and noblemen. But then in the twentieth century even in Bali imported paper got the better of the native material, which grew scarce. It needed a long practice to acquire the ability of scratching on palmleaf, and spending many evenings on such a superfluous art seemed a waste of time to young modern people. In the Islamic period in Java the ancient palmleaves were superseded by other writing materials, though for a considerable time, up to the beginning of the twentieth century, lontar manuscripts were still made in East Java and Madura. In those districts the custom prevailed in the villages to have social gatherings where a well-known reli gious text was sung or recited. It was the fashion for young men to attend those gath erings bringing their own palmleaf manu scripts as textbooks. The favourite text was

the Yusup romance, containing the life of Joseph and his adventures in Egypt (see 30.520). The great number of lontar manu scripts of the Yusup romance existant can be explained by this popular custom. Oc casionally the wooden boards which served as bindings were decorated with woodcarving or painted in a polychrome design, to show off. On the whole the quality of East Java nese palmleaf manuscripts is below the Bali nese standard. Perhaps the varieties of palms and the methods of preparing the leaves were different. In view of the fact that Chinese and Indian traders have been present in Javanese ports since early times, probably Chinese and perhaps so-called Arabic paper for writing purposes was known in those Javanese com munities which had contacts with foreigners. No clear evidence of the existence of pre- Islamic Javanese paper manuscripts is avail able, however. Probably the native writing material, palmleaves, was deemed satisfactory. In Java as well as in other islands of the Archipelago from antiquity treebark peeled from some kinds of trees or shrubs has been made, by beating, into sheets. This material, in the islands of the Pacific Ocean generally known as tapa, and in the Archipelago often called fuya, was used for clothing. The Javanese name is dluwani. At the end of the pre-Islamic period dluwan, clothing belonged in the sacral sphere. The material was no longer generally worn in everyday life but its use subsisted in the circles of religiously minded people, for making a kind of sacer dotal frocks. Well prepared dluwan, sheets can be decorated with drawings and coloured paint ings. In the pre-Islamic period in Java