Boxer Codex
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Boxer Codex is a manuscript written in circa 1595 which contains the first illustrations of Filipinos at the time of their contact with Spaniards in the 16th century. Aside from the description and historical allusions to the Philippines and various other countries in the Far East done in 307 pages, it also contains seventy five colored drawings of the inhabitants of these nations and their distinctive costumes. Fifteen of these illustrations deal with Filipinos.[1]
It is believed that the original owner of the manuscript was Luis Pérez das Mariñas, son of Governor General Gómez Pérez das Mariñas, who was killed by the Sangleys (Chinese living in the Philippines) in 1593. Luis succeeded his father in office as Governor General of the Philippines. Since Spanish colonial governors were required to render written reports regarding the territotries they governed, it is most likely that he ordered it written. [2]
The earliest known owner of the manuscript was Lord Ilchester. The codex was among what remained in his collection when his Holland House in London was was directly hit by the German bombing in 1942. It was later on put up in auction in 1947 and came into the possession of an authority on the Far East, Prof. Charles R. Boxer, who purchased it for a modest sum. The document is now at the Lilly Library of Indiana University in the United States.[3]
The peculiar importance of this unique manuscript is its faithful depiction of the Tagalogs, Visayans, Zambals, Cagayanons and Negritos of the Philippines in vivid colors. But, Prof. Boxer says that its illustration of inhabitants of the neighboring countries, except for the Chinese, are odd-looking. This shows that the artist did not actually visit the places mentioned from the text, but drew from imagination. The professor also noted that its descriptions of these countries are not original. Its account about China, for example, was primarily based on the narrative of Fray Martin de Rada. The owner believes that the artist behind the drawings was a Chinese as the features of the persons depicted would show. Furthermore, he says that the ideographs are too well brushed to be a work done by any Spanish friar. Also, the use of the Chinese paper, ink and paints of the Ming period suggests a Chinese artist.[4]
