ABSTRACT
Most of the colophones of Malay manuscripts do not reveal the identities of scribes. However, in the late 19th century, most of the literature works transcribed in Pecenongan reveal their identities. Furthermore, some of them even have their signatures. One of the manuscripts copied in Pecenongan is Hikayat Sultan Taburat (HST). In total, there are nine HST manuscripts, seven of which have the signatures of the scribes. The objective of this study is to explain the significance of the signatures in HST manuscripts in relation to their placement and shape. In addition, we examine HST texts, scriptorium in Pecenongan, and the relationship between Muhammad Bakir and Tjit. According to previous studies, the signatures found in HST manuscripts serve as a sign of not only ownership but also the text reading and an aesthetic aspect to the writing.
